83rd Ampatuan massacre suspect nabbed on 1st anniversary

The first anniversary of the November 23 massacre in Maguindanao proved to be unlucky for one of the 196 co-accused in the crime, and one of the 114 still at large, when he was arrested on Tuesday in the capital town of Shariff Aguak—just a short ride away from Ampatuan town where the carnage occurred. Senior Superintendent Agrimero Cruz, spokesman of the Philippine National Police, identified the 83rd arrested suspect in the gruesome killings as Misuari Sinsuat Ampatuan. It was not immediately clear how he is related to the prominent members of the Ampatuan clan who are the principal accused in the ongoing trial. Ampatuan was arrested at Labu-Labu village in Shariff Aguak town at about 4:30 p.m. The arrest was carried out by joint forces from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDF) of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Police, the Army's 45th Infantry Battalion, and the military's Eastern Mindanao Command. Ampatuan was arrested by virtue of the warrant arrest issued by Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221. Solis-Reyes is currently hearing the case on 57 multiple murder charges slapped against 196 individuals, including Andal Ampatuan Sr., several of his sons, and other members of the Ampatuan clan that dominated Maguindanao. Also charged for the crime are members of the local police, military, and civilian volunteer organizations, which are alleged to be under the control of the Ampatuans. The latest arrest brings down the number of the accused still at large to 113. Eight-three others have been arrested, with most of them detained at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City. Of those arrested, more than 50 have already been arraigned. Fifteen of them are undergoing trial, which is set to resume Wednesday at a makeshift court room inside the police camp.—With Mark D. Merueñas/JV, GMANews.TV