Ex-cop denied bail in massacre trial

MANILA, Philippines - The Quezon City court handling the Maguindanao massacre trial has affirmed the denial of a petition for bail of a former police official charged with multiple murder.

In a three-page order released yesterday, Regional Trial Court Branch 221 Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes denied the motion for reconsideration filed by Superintendent Bahnarin Kamaong, former director of the regional mobile group of the Philippine National Police in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Kamaong argued that the testimonies of the two witnesses – Lakmodin Saliao and Sukarno Badal – who implicated him in the massacre were baseless.

The accused said the testimony of Badal, a suspect-turned-state witness, was self-serving and uncorroborated by other pieces of evidence.

The witnesses told the court that Kamaong, the top police officer in the ARMM at the time of the bloodbath, supposedly took part in the meetings where the planning of the massacre allegedly happened.

Kamaong denied the allegations and said the prosecution has no evidence that would show his participation in the crime.

In her ruling, Solis-Reyes said the prosecution panel was able to provide sufficient evidence to show that Kamaong participated in the three meetings prior to the massacre.

“Based on the remarks heard by Badal, it appears that the gathering included the plan to kill Esmael Mangudadatu to prevent him from participating in the electoral race,” read the order.

Mangudadatu, then vice mayor of Buluan municipality, was planning to run for governor against Andal Ampatuan Jr. in the 2010 elections.

His wife, Genalyn, led the convoy of 58 people, including 32 media workers, who were murdered by more than a hundred men.

Kamaong was among the 197 suspects, including prominent members of the Ampatuan clan, who were charged for the Nov. 23, 2009 massacre.