Maguindanao police chief resigns

After being criticized for the police’s failure to round up more than 100 suspects in last year's massacre in Ampatuan town, the chief of the Maguindanao police has resigned from his post on Thursday. In an interview, Senior Superintendent Alex Lineses said he gave up his post to give Maguindanao Governor Esmael "Toto" Mangudadatu a free hand in choosing a new provincial police director. Lineses, however, stressed that his resignation was in no way an admission of the police’s failure in the Ampatuan massacre case. He added that he was just assigned to a higher post as an intelligence officer of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Police. "Sabi failure daw ako sa paghuli nung mga [suspects] which I don’t think so. Ginagawa ko naman ang tungkulin ko," (They say I am a failure in catching the suspects which I don't think so. I'm doing my duty), he said. "I've been an officer for quite sometime already so alam ko naman ang ginagawa ko. I'm on the right track and I'm in the right direction," he added. Lineses will be replaced by Senior Superintendent Marcelo Pintac, current General Santos City police director. Over 100 suspects remain at large Of the 196 individuals accused in the Ampatuan massacre, only 64 have been arrested, including the alleged mastermind, Andal Ampatuan Jr., former mayor of Datu Unsay town in Maguindanao, and Mangudadatu’s political rival. Earlier, Mangudadatu openly called for the resignation of Lineses as he criticized the local police for failing to arrest the remaining suspects in what is known as the Maguindanao massacre. GMANews.TV tried but failed to get Mangudadatu’s comment on the development. Mangudadatu's wife, sisters, supporters, and 32 journalists were among the 57 people killed in the massacre, considered the single deadliest event for journalists in history. The mass graves of the victims were found in Ampatuan town on Nov. 23, 2009. Earlier that day, Mangudadatu's wife and supporters were on their way to file his certificate of candidacy for governor. At the time, Mangudadatu was vice mayor of Buluan town. However, the victims were stopped at a checkpoint and shot to death by alleged members of the powerful Ampatuan clan and about 100 members of their private army. All the members of the Maguindanao provincial police were then suspended by the Department of Interior and Local Government following the incident. Lineses was then assigned as the police chief. 'Willing to give way' Senior Superintendent Bienvenido Latag, ARMM regional police director, said he sees no problem in replacing Lineses, whom he said "is willing to give way to another chief." Latag said he was satisfied with Lineses' accomplishment as Maguindanao police chief, but admitted that it was impossible to "satisfy everyone." In an earlier interview with GMANews.TV, Mangudadatu expressed disappointment over Lineses for allegedly failing to submit a report on the status of the investigation of the case. "Wala siyang report na binibigay. Hindi man lang siya nag-puwesto ng tao doon [sa Ampatuan] (He did not submit a report, he didn't even assign people there," he told reporters last July 2 in Manila. — VVP, RSJ, GMANews.TV