GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/03 September) — Police operatives in Sarangani province captured Thursday a fugitive policeman who was among the 189 suspects earlier ordered by arrested by a Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) in connection with the November 23, 2009 massacre in Ampatuan, Maguindanao.
Chief Supt. Felicisimo Khu, Region 12 police director, said suspect Police Officer 1 Arnulfo Ayunan Soriano was nabbed by a joint police tracking team at around 9:10 am Thursday in a house in Sitio Nama, Barangay Katubao in Kiamba town in Sarangani.
He said the suspect’s arrest was based on a tip earlier provided by an informant in the area.
“The arresting unit has been monitoring the movement of PO1 Soriano after confirming that he was hiding in Sarangani Province,” he said.
Khu said Soriano was nabbed based on a warrant of arrest earlier issued by Quezon City RTC Branch 221 Judge Jocelyn A Solis-Reyes of RTC NCR Branch 221 in connection with the massacre of 57 people, including 30 journalists, in Sitio Masalay, Barangay Salman in
Ampatuan, Maguindanao on November 23, 2009.
He said the suspect, who was previously assigned at the 1508th Maguindanao Police Provincial Mobile Company based at Camp Datu Aquilan in Shariff Aguak town, was tracked down by a police team under supervision of Sarangani police director Senior Supt. Florendo Quidilla Sr.
“(Soriano) had no firearm and did not resist upon his arrest,” the police official said.
He said the suspect, who was listed AWOL or absent without official leave by his former unit, is now at the custody of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Region 12 based in this city.
Khu said the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) placed a P250,000 reward for Soriano’s arrest based on DILG-Memorandum Circular 2010-55 issued last June 29.
He said the reward money would be given to the informer who provided the details on PO1 Soriano’s location.
“The arrest of PO1 Soriano will further give light to the ongoing investigation. It’s a hope for justice for the families of the massacre victims,” Khu said.
The Department of Justice has filed 57 counts of murder charges against principal suspect former Datu Unsay, Maguindanao Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. in connection with the massacre.
Aside from the mayor, also charged were former Maguindanao Gov. Andal Sr., suspended Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan, former acting Maguindanao Gov. Sajid Ampatuan, several other members of the clan and more than 180 civilian volunteers and militiamen.
A group of armed men allegedly led by Andal Jr. held and later killed members of the family of then Buluan Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu, their lawyers and at least 32 journalists who were on their way to file the Vice Mayor’s certificate of candidacy for Maguindanao governor at the Commission on Elections provincial office in Shariff Aguak town.
Joint police, Army and civilian search and retrieval teams initially found at least 22 bodies scattered at a hilly portion of the massacre site and later retrieved 24 more remains at a shallow grave in the area. Some 11 more bodies were later retrieved from a second grave in
the area.
The remains of the 58th victim, Reynaldo Momay, a photographer of a local paper in Tacurong, have yet to be found. Thus far, only his dentures have been found. (Allen V. Estabillo/MindaNews)
