Maguindanao massacre: Another man freed for mistaken arrest

MANILA, Philippines - In less than one month, the Quezon City court handling the Maguindanao massacre trial has released two suspects mistakenly arrested by authorities for the Nov. 23, 2009 bloodbath.

In a four-page order released to the media yesterday, Regional Trial Court Branch 221 Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes ordered the release of Rene Matuti, who was previously identified as suspect Dexson Saptula.

Matuti, who was already arraigned as Saptula for the multiple murder case, was detained at the Quezon City Jail-Annex in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City. He was released from detention on Thursday.

On Jan. 22, Solis-Reyes also ordered the release of Jun Aliman after it was established that the real suspect named Sahid Guiamadel was Arnel Abdullah, who was separately arrested for illegal possession of firearms in Sultan Kudarat on Feb. 22, 2012.

Matuti was released from detention after the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) arrested on Nov. 9, 2013 suspect Mohammad Adam, who was also identified as Saptula.

“Given the admission made by CIDG officers who at this instance are regularly performing their official duties, that Rene Matuti is not Dexson Saptula, the subject of warrant of arrest, and with the arrest of (Adam), it behoves this court to see to it that no injustice is done to an innocent man,” read the order.

She ordered Adam arraigned for the 58 counts of murder on Feb. 12.

Records show that Matuti was arrested on July 19, 2012 in Sarangani. The court, however, was only informed of his arrest seven months later on Feb. 20, 2013.

No affidavit of identification was attached to the spot report of the arrest, which said a certain Nestor Dialangan identified him as the suspect in the massacre.