17 cops in Maguindanao massacre allowed to post bail
MAGUINDANAO Gov. Esmael Mangudadato points at the still at-large suspects of the Maguindanao massacre. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – Seventeen police officers allegedly involved in the massacre in Maguindanao were allowed to post bail by a local court.
In a nine-page order issued by Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of Branch 221 of the Quezon City regional trial court, allowed to post bail were Police Officer 3 (PO3) Rasid T. Anton, PO1Herich Amaba, PO2 Hernanie S. Decipulo Jr., PO3 Felix E. Eñate Jr., PO1 Esprielito Lejarso, PO1 Narkouk D. Mascud, Senior Police Officer 1 (SPO1) Eduardo H. Ong, PO2 Saudi Pasutan, PO1 Arnulfo Soriano, PO1 Pia Kamidon, PO3 Abibudin S. Abdulgani, PO2 Hamad Nana, PO1 Esmael M. Guialal, SPO1 Oscar Donato, PO1 Abdullah Baguadatu, PO2 Saudiar Ulah and Police Inspector Michael Joy Macaraeg.
They were ordered to pay P200,000 for each of the 58 counts of murder or P11.6 million for each of the accused while Ulah was ordered to pay P200,000 for only each of the 57 counts of murder.
“Based on the evidence on record, not one of the testimonies or exhibits presented by the prosecution had particularly linked and identified the following accused police officers PO3 Rasid T. Anton, PO2 Hernanie S. Decipulo Jr., PO3 Felix E. Eñate Jr., PO1 Esprielito Lejarso, PO1 Narkouk D. Mascud, Senior Police Officer 1 (SPO1) Eduardo H. Ong, PO2 Saudi Pasutan, PO1 Arnulfo Soriano, PO1 Pia Kamidon, PO3 Abibudin S. Abdulgani, PO2 Hamad Nana, PO1 Esmael M. Guialal, SPO1 Oscar Donato, PO1 Abdullah Baguadatu and PO2 Saudiar Ulah to the relevant times and places surrounding the alleged killing of the victims,” the court said.
On the other hand, Amaba and Macaraeg were only seen in the vicinity of Sitio (sub-village) Masalay, Barangay (village) Salman, Ampatuan, Maguindanao. Amaba was manning the checkpoint while Macaraeg was seen only in the vicinity after the killing.
“As regards PO1 Herich Amaba, the Court finds that the pieces of evidence so far presented do not show that he actually participated in the commission of the crime of murder on 58 counts…Without more, the alleged act of conducting checkpoint operations specifically by flagging down the vehicles will not suffice to warrant a finding of strong evidence of guilt,” the court explained.
“As regards P/Insp. Michael Joy Macaraeg, he was only identified as one of the personnel at Sitio Malating checkpoint albeit purportedly armed. None of the witnesses and exhibits adduced by the prosecution described his actual role in the death of the victims,” the court added.
The 17 police officers are among the 196 accused in the massacre.
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