PNP: Andal Jr.'s former driver arrested for Ampatuan massacre

Philippine National Police spokesman Chief Supt. Agrimero Cruz said another suspect in the 2009 Ampatuan massacre — Nasser Esmael aka Nasrudin Guiapal Esmael — was arrested on Wednesday. Cruz said Esmael, 33, was the driver of former Mayor Datu Andal "Unsay" Ampatuan Jr. Esmael, of Barangay Meta, Datu Unsay town in Ampatuan, Maguindanao, was in the police's list of "most wanted persons" for his alleged involvement in the massacre of 57 people on November 23, 2009. Cruz said Esmael was arrested inside his home by virtue of a warrant of arrest for multiple murder (56 counts), docketed in criminal case numbers Q-09162148-72; Q-09162216-31, and Q-10162652-66. The arrest warrant was issued by Judge Jocelyn Solis Reyes, Regional Trial Court branch 221, NCR judicial region, Quezon City. Esmael was one of the suspects in the Ampatuan massacre where 57 people were killed, 32 of them journalists. A 58th victim, a photographer, is still missing. On November 23, 2009, the family of now Maguindanao Gov. Esmael "Toto" Mangudadatu led a convoy to register the then Buluan town mayor's candidacy for governorship. However, on their way to the provincial capital of Shariff Aguak, they were waylaid in Ampatuan town by heavily-armed men, widely presumed to be members of the Ampatuan's private army. The Ampatuans have repeatedly denied they were behind the 2009 massacre in Ampatuan town, Maguindanao. – VVP, GMA News