Prosecutors acknowledge innocent man arrested in massacre case

MANILA, Philippines—Prosecutors handling the 2009 Maguindanao massacre case agree that one of the detained suspects was mistakenly arrested.

In effect, the panel agreed with the police’s findings that Sahid Guiamadel, alias Jun Aliman, was wrongly arrested for involvement in the massacre.

In a three page manifestation, the prosecution asked a Quezon City judge to rectify the situation and order Guiamadel’s release.

This developed after the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit submitted an investigation report in November, saying there was no evidence to show that Aliman, arrested on Dec. 14, 2011 in Kidapawan City, was the same Guiamadel on the charge list.

The former chief of the CIDG, Director Francisco Uyami, said the real Guiamadel was Arnel Abdullah, who was arrested for illegal possession of firearms in Sultan Kudarat on Feb. 22, 2012.

The investigation showed that the policeman who arrested Aliman was tricked by an informant who fed him false information.

“To obviate a miscarriage of justice, we are of the view that the real accused, Sahid Guiamadel also known as Arnel Abdullah should be the one prosecuted for the case,” the prosecution said.

Supt. Benjamin Silo of the CIDG investigation division said the arrest of Aliman was based mostly on Guiamadel’s photograph and arrest warrant.

“It was not supported by any affidavit of identification or any other pertinent documents of identification that Aliman and Guiamadel are one and the same,” the official said in a report to the court.

However, there is evidence, including witnesses’ statements, to show that Abdullah is the real Guiamadel. He is now detained at the Sultan Kudarat provincial jail in connection with another case.

After his arrest, Aliman asked the court to order his release on grounds of illegal arrest and mistaken identity, while Abdullah did not act on the issue.

Aliman is detained with other massacre suspects at the Quezon City Jail Annex in Camp Bagong Diwa.