PNP: ‘A lot of factors’ affect arrest of 80 Maguindanao massacre suspects

MANILA, Philippines — “A lot of factors” contribute to the failure of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to arrest 80 more suspects in the 2009 Maguindanao massacre.

This was the explanation of PNP deputy chief for operations Lt. Gen. Camilo Cascolan when he was asked Monday about the challenges being faced by the police in their pursuit of the suspects in the gruesome multiple murder case.

A Quezon City court is set to release its verdict on the 10-year-old case on December 19. But 80 of the nearly 200 respondents in the case remain free as of this posting.

“Well, of course mahirap sabihin eh (it’s hard to say). If it’s your turf, nobody can enter your turf, right?” Cascolan said.

“A lot of factors and we just hope that we would be able to overcome those challenges,” he added.

According to him, PNP officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa had already directed ground officers to intensify manhunt operations on the elusive suspects and “come up with results.”

“Of course there are other matters being taken up by our units so that they would be able to arrest these people,” Cascolan noted.

The Maguindanao massacre on November 23, 2009, has been dubbed as the worst election-related violence in Philippine history as it left 58 people killed. It is also branded as the single deadliest attack on the press since 32 of the 58 victims were members of the media.

Of all 197 suspects, 101 are due for sentencing, including the primary accused Datu Andal “Unsay” Ampatuan, Jr. and his brothers Zaldy and Sajid.