DAVAO CITY—The dismissal of the 21 police officers implicated in the 2009 Maguindanao massacre was just an initial victory in the six-year quest for justice for the victims and their families, Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu said.
“It’s a welcome development reflective of an initial victory in the long wait for justice in the court trial of suspects in the massacre,” he said on Friday.
Mangudadatu said the trial of the main suspects, led by Andal Ampatuan Jr., was continuing.
He described the trial as “slow and snail paced” but remained optimistic that justice would eventually be served to the families of the 58 victims, 32 of them journalists.
“We have never rested in our quest for justice,” he said.
Mangudadatu said the decision of the National Police Commission (Napolcom) to dismiss the 21 police officers proved their claim that the massacre would not have happened if the police were there to protect the victims.
“What happened was these police officers instead played partisan politics and did not do their job to protect and serve,” he said.
He said the action might have come quite late but “it should signal to other police personnel to play neutral in their duties and never take side among political groups in given localities.”
The Napolcom, after five years of deliberations, has recently ordered the dismissal from service of former Maguindanao police director Supt. Abusama Mundas Maguid, then deputy provincial director Chief Insp. Zukarno Adil Dicay, Insp. Rex Ariel Tabao Diongon, Insp. Michael Joy Ines Macaraeg, SPO2 Badawi Piang Bakal, SPO1 Eduardo Hermo Ong, PO3 Rashid Tolentino Anton, PO3 Felix Escala Enate, PO3 Abidudin Sambuay Abdulgani, PO3 Hamad Michael Nana, PO2 Saudiar Ubo Ulah, PO2 Saudi Pompong Pasutan, PO1 Herich Manisi Amaba, PO1 Michael Juanitas Madsig, PO1 Abdullah Samma Baguadatu, PO1 Pia Sulay Kamidon, PO1 Esperileto Giano Lejarso, PO1 Esmael Manuel Guialal, PO1 Narkou Duloan Mascu and PO1 Rainer Tan Ebus.
Insp. Saudi Matabalo Mokamad was also ordered dismissed after it was established that he failed or refused “to take command in an emergency in order to carry out police duty, being the officer present with the highest rank, grade or position.”
In the decision signed by Interior Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento, who also chairs the Napolcom, PNP chief Ricardo Marquez, and commissioners Napolcom vice chair Eduardo Escueta, Luisito Palmera, Constancia de Guzman and Alejandro Uro, Maguid was found to have led “the efforts to hide and conceal the incident from the authorities and to dispose of evidence that might have been left by the group of Datu Andal Jr.”
Dicay was also found to have headed the blockade set up by the provincial police mobile group, where the convoy, led by Mangudadatu’s wife Genalyn, was initially held on Nov. 23, 2009.
The other dismissed officers, based on the Napolcom decision, did not do anything when Andal Jr. arrived and herded the victims to Sitio Masalay, where they were executed and buried.
The Napolcom suspended SPO1 Alik Mluk Solano, PO2 Kendatu Salem Rakim, PO1 Benedick Tentiao Alfonso, PO1 Abdurahman Said Batarasa, PO1 Marjul Tarulan Julkadi, PO1 Datu Jerry Mluk Utto, PO1 Mohamad Karim Balading, PO1 Marsman Eging Nilong, PO1 Abdulmanan Lumbabo Saavedra, PO3 Felix Abado Daquilos, and PO1 Jimmy Mlah Kadtong for neglect of duty.
They did not report the incident. Allan Nawal, Inquirer Mindanao