Police arrested another Ampatuan massacre suspect

PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. Generoso Cerbo Jr. INQUIRER.NET FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Police arrested another suspect allegedly involved in the infamous 2009 Ampatuan massacre, bringing the total number of involved suspects to 106, a spokesman for the Philippine National Police said.

Chief Superintendent Generoso Cerbo Jr. identified the suspect as Kudza Uguia Masukat, who was arrested in Barangay Tugal, Midsayap, North Cotabato at around 10:15 a.m. earlier this week.

Masukat, who also use aliases Datu Teng Ibrahim and Mustapha Ibrahim, didn’t resist arrest when he was cornered by joint elements of police and military while he was heading toward Datu Piang in Maguindanao onboard a motorcycle.

“Masukat’s way was sealed and could not make any move to extricate himself,” CIDG said, adding that they “are very sure that he is the same Masukat whose photo appeared in a poster circulated by the PNP and the DILG [Department of Interior and Local Government].”

A P250,000 bounty was offered for Masukat’s arrest.

Masukat was placed under police custody at the ARMM-Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit in Cotabato City.

Fifty-eight people were killed, including 32 journalists, in the massacre.