KIDAPAWAN CITY (MindaNews/07 November) — Authorities nabbed in Cotabato City another suspect in the Maguindanao massacre, bringing to 79 the number of those charged in the mass murder arrested since last year.
Sr. Supt. Willie Dangane, chief of the Cotabato City police, identified the suspect as Salipada Tampugao, former member of the Maguindanao Civilian Volunteers Organization.
Dangane said the suspect was arrested at a checkpoint along Tamontaka road in Cotabato City, around 9 a.m., on Saturday, after weeks of surveillance. He reportedly hid in one of the houses of his relatives at Sitio Bago Inged at Barangay Tamontaka-3.
He was on board a passenger vehicle when intercepted by Dangane’s men at a checkpoint.
Tampugao did not resist arrest but denied participation in the brutal slay of 58 people on Nov 23, 2009 in Ampatuan, Maguindanao, saying he was not around when the massacre took place.
His name, however, was included in the charge sheet with a P250,000 for information leading to his arrest.
There were 197 suspects charged with multiple murders, including former Maguindanao Governor Datu Andal Ampatuan, Sr., and his sons Andal, Jr., and former ARMM Governor Datu Zaldy Ampatuan, many of them detained at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig, Metro Manila. (Malu Cadelina-Manar/MindaNews)
