3 more accused in Maguindanao massacre enter not guilty pleas

MANILA, Philippines - Three more accused in the Maguindanao massacre, including a police colonel, on Wednesday afternoon pleaded not guilty to multiple murder charges filed against them during their arraignment before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC).

The arraignment was held at the courtroom created by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 under Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes inside the Quezon City Jail Annex of the Metro Manila District Jail at the Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.

Accused Police Superintendent Bahnarin Kamaong, Police Officer 1 Sandy Sabang and Theng Sali alias Abdullah Hamid entered their not guilty pleas when the charges against them were read by the clerk of court.

The arraignment of three more accused: Ahmidin Alameda, Dekson Sapatula and Norhato Camino did not push through as they remain in the custody of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in its regional office in Region XII.

In the last hearing of the case, Sukarno Badal, a former ally of the Ampatuan clan who has turned state witness testified as having personally witnessed how accused Ampatuan Jr. shot dead the victims, including the wife of now Maguindanao Governor Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu at the massacre site in Sitio Masalay, Ampatuan town.

A total of 58 victims were killed in the 2009 massacre, including 32 print and broadcast journalists who joined the convoy to cover the filing of Mangudadatu’s certificate of candidacy.