101 Maguindanao massacre suspects remain at large

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine National Police admits  it is having a tough time hunting down 101 suspects in the 2009 Maguindanao massacre  who remain at large, in the wake of reports of witnesses or their relatives getting killed one by one.

PNP spokesperson Senior Superintendent Generoso Cerbo Jr. said policemen tasked to hunt down the rest of the fugitives charged in the massacre were grappling with a number of difficulties, principally the province’s  topography.

“Given that the province of Maguindanao is so vast, if you are familiar with the area, it is hard because there are marshlands. There are mountainous areas and deeply-forested areas,” Cerbo said a news briefing  on Friday.

The second main challenge, he said, was that the suspects were being protected and hidden by their clans and communities, making it difficult for the police to track the suspects down in places where the authorities are seen as enemies.

The police have apprehended 96 of the 197 accused, including several members of the Ampatuan clan, led by patriarch Andal Sr. and his sons, who are on trial for the massacre of 57 persons, mostly journalists, in November 2009 in Ampatuan town in Maguindanao.

The body of a 58th victim, photojournalist Reynaldo Momay, has not been recovered.

Cerbo said he believed it was only a matter of time before the law caught up with all the accused.

“We have their names, and we have existing warrants for these people. It’s only a matter  of time before we account for all of them,” he said.

He noted that the “big bosses” in the Ampatuan clan, or the principals in the case, were already behind bars.

Cerbo said he believed that the influence of the Ampatuan clan in Maguindanao has waned since the arrest of its leaders.

“We have the PNP there, and the Armed Forces is there. Second, we have the local government unit there, and they have a new local chief executive there. So if you ask if they are still influential there, it is now minimal compared to before,” Cerbo said.

He said the PNP was prepared to offer security to witnesses in the Maguindanao massacre case, following reports of the killings. Six people—three witnesses and three relatives of other witnesses—have been killed in connection with the Maguindanao massacre case.

“They just have to go to us, and we will guide them on what to do in order to get police protection. Or even without protective security, the witnesses, especially those who live in Maguindanao, should report to us any threats on their lives,” he said.

“That’s very important material information to the PNP,” Cerbo added.