ESPERANZA, Sultan Kudarat, Philippines?Members of the family of Maguindanao massacre witness Lakmudin Saliao have fled their village in Ampatuan, Maguindanao.

Residents of Kakar village said Saliao?s family decided to leave town after he surfaced as a potential witness in the prosecution of the alleged perpetrators of the massacre that claimed the lives of 57 people, 32 of them media workers.

Speaking to the Inquirer this week, some residents said Saliao?s mother, Singkia, has resettled in Buluan, hometown of Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu, original target of the massacre.

Meanwhile, Sharia Court Judge Mohammad Saga Saliao said the testimony of the former Ampatuan househelp has made them worry about their safety.

He said what made things worse was that one of his children has the same name as the star witness in the Maguindanao massacre trial.

Judge Saliao maintained he was not related to the witness.

Based on stories from the former Ampatuan errand boy?s neighbors, he adopted the surname Saliao because that was how he heard the Ampatuans call his father, Sali Ebrahim.

Saliao?s father, already deceased, was a member of the Ampatuan police and was known to be close to then fellow policeman Andal Ampatuan Sr.

Kebpa Ebrahim earlier said his younger brother, Saliao, became part of the Ampatuan household upon his recommendation.

In a related development, a former presidential adviser on the Mindanao affairs, Jesus Dureza denied Saliao?s testimony that he arranged the surrender of main slay suspect, Andal Jr., to former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

In a statement e-mailed to reporters on Thursday, Dureza, crisis manager for the Maguindanao carnage, said he would make formal his denial once he is summoned to testify.

?As the official handling the crisis situation during that incident, I categorically deny that I made arrangements for Datu Unsay Ampatuan to be turned over to the custody of then President Arroyo,? he said.

Dureza said he had handled several crisis situations in the past and the ?custody by the President was never an option.?

?I recall I discussed the need to hand over Datu Unsay (Andal Jr.?s nickname) for investigation with Bapa Andal Ampatuan Sr. in his house in Maguindanao in the presence of Congressman Didagalen ?Digs? Dilangalen, Atty. Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi, Energy Undersecretary Zamzamin Ampatuan, among others,? he said.

Dureza said when they agreed to Andal Jr.?s surrender, he ?spirited Datu Unsay out of Shariff Aguak by Huey helicopter accompanied by his lawyer, Atty. Guiani-Sayadi to Gen. Santos City airport and personally handed him over to then Justice Secretary Agnes Devenadera for inquest proceedings and custody.?

?Then on the same day, we flew him by Air Force plane to Manila direct to the National Bureau of Investigation detention facilities,? Dureza added.

With reports from Charlie C. Señase and Aquilez Z. Zonio, Inquirer Mindanao