MANILA, Philippines?A police official who was a potential witness to the massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao province has reportedly gone missing, Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Jesus Verzosa confirmed Monday.
Senior Inspector Ariel Diongon, the former head of the elite unit provincial mobile group manning one of the checkpoints where the convoy of Mangudadatus passed last November 23, failed to report to the headquarters of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) police.
A newspaper report quoted police in ARMM as saying that Diongon left custody last Friday and has not reported back since.
Verzosa said he has yet to verify the actual date when Diongon went missing.
Diongon, who was placed on restrictive custody because of his knowledge and possible liability on the massacre, reportedly told his superiors that he had to ?leave to go somewhere.?
?The initial information I received was that he asked permission, verbally, because he had some place to go,? Verzosa told reporters.
Verzosa said he has ordered an explanation from both the ARMM police and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.
He admitted that because Diongon was under restrictive custody, he was not allowed to leave the police camp.
Verzosa added that he hoped Diongon was safe.
?We hope nothing harmful has happened to him,? he said.
Verzosa said he was still uncertain as to whether Diongon was a suspect or a witness because the Department of Justice has yet to act on the recommendation submitted by the PNP.
Diongon, along with other police officials, was initially placed under custody at the national police headquarters at Camp Crame. He was later transferred to the ARMM police and was put under their custody.
Verzosa also clarified that the seven policemen mentioned in the same newspaper report had been missing since the day of the massacre.
These policemen were identified as Inspector Michael Joy Macaraeg, Police Officers 1 Musa D. Abad, Jonathan Engid, Joharto E. Kaminda, Zoharto E. Samson, Abdul D. Macatimbol, and Abbey Guidem.
?They have been charged for being AWOL (absent without leave),? Verzosa said.
