COTABATO CITY, (PNA) — The long arm of the law finally catches one of the more than 190 suspects in the 2009 Maguindanao massacre that left 58 people dead, including 32 journalists, police here said.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (CIDG-ARMM) identified the suspect who did not resist arrest as Alimudin Sanguyod alias Norodin Garaputan.
After almost four years in hiding, Sanguyod was cornered by CIDG-ARMM agents at Crossing Salbu, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao at about noon Friday.
Lawmen politely presented him the arrest warrant issued by Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court who is trying the case.
A resident of Barangay Meta, Datu Unsay, Maguindanao, Sanguyod vehemently denied involvement in the November 23, 2009 massacre of 58 people in Barangay Salman, Ampatuan, Maguindanao.
Sanguyod who carries a P250,000 reward on his head refused to talk to reporters who visited him at the CIDG-ARMM office in Cotabato City where he is being interrogated by CIDG agents.
He was the 108th suspect to be arrested.
According to CIDG agents who asked not to be named, an informant tipped off the police about Sanguyod’s regular presence in Barangay Crossing Salbu.
A surveillance and covert operations was conducted to confirm Sanguyod’s presence in the area. After confirming that he is regularly staying in one of the makeshift roadside restaurants in Barangay Crossing Salbu, an operation was conducted and was carried out successfully with the help of Maguindanao police and the military’s 2nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade.
The agents said Sanguyod vehemently denied any participation in the massacre and that he was mistakenly arrested.
CIDG-ARMM said Sanguyod will be brought to Taguig City Monday to be handed over to the court’s jurisdiction.
The arrest of Sanguyod came three months after the Maguindanao PNP and CIDG agents arrested Mama Habib last July 25 in Barangay Manongcaling, Mamasapano town in Maguinanao.
Sanguyod and Habin were allegedly members of the Maguindanao civilian volunteer organization, a para-military unit providing security to then Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr., blamed as the mastermind of the massacre to prevent then gubernatorial aspirant Esmael Toto Mangudadatu to file his certificates of candidacy for the 2010 local elections. Mangudadatu was eventually elected provincial governor.
About 90 other suspects, mostly para-miitary men with warrants of arrest remained at large.