17 policemen in Ampatuan massacre seek reinvestigation

MANILA, Philippines -  Seventeen police officers accused in the 2009 Maguindanao massacre is requesting President Benigno Aquino III for a reinvestigation, saying they are innocent of the accusations charged against them.

“We have not done (anything wrong) and know nothing about what transpired. We are innocent, in fact, the area where the crime was committed was very far, more or less five kilometers away from the place where we performed normal police duty,” the policemen’s letter to Aquino dated Jan. 10 showed.

The policemen- accused of collusion and doing nothing when the victims were shot to death, furthered that “we believe that we are innocent and not liable to the crime committed by the alleged Ampatuan family because we do not have any connection with them whatsoever.”

Those who signed the letter are: SPO 2 Oscar Donato, SPO1 Eduardo Ong, Police Officers 3 Rasid Anton, Abebudin Abdulgani, and Felix Enate Jr.

Police Officers 2 Hernanie Decipulo, Saudiar Ullah, Saudi Pasutan, and Hama Michael Nana, together with Police Officers 1 Herick Amaba, Michael Madsig, Pia Kamidon, Espelieto Lejarso, Esmael Manuel Guialal, Narkouk Mascud, Arnulfo Soriano, and Abdullah Baguadatu, also signed the paper obtained by The STAR.

“We respectfully appeal to the President to help us and request the reinvestigation of our case because we cannot afford to have and hire lawyers, our officers left us behind without concern,” the cops said, adding that their lack of salary compensation had forced their children to stop going to school.

There are 196 accused in the Ampatuan town massacre that claimed the lives of 57 people. Of the figure, 62 are policemen. Most of them are detained in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City and are undergoing trial for the criminal and administrative cases.