P11.6-M bail set for 17 cops in Maguindanao massacre case

(Updated 5:22 p.m.) Seventeen police officers facing multiple murder charges in connection with the 2009 Maguindanao massacre can temporarily enjoy freedom, but only if they can post bail amounting to P11.6 million  each.

Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221, in granting the policemen-suspects' petition, set the bail at P200,000 each for each count of murder filed against them.

"Wherefore in view of the foregoing and finding that the evdience of guilt of the accused is not strong the petition for bail filed by [the 17 cops]... are hereby granted accordingly," said Solis-Reyes said in a resolution dated October 13 but only given to the parties on Wednesday.

"Each of the aforesaid accused is allowed to post bail in the amount of 200,000 for each of the 58 counts of murder," she added.

This would mean each suspect will have to post bail amounting to P11.6 million before he can be temporarily set free.

The 17 suspects allowed to post bail are:

PO1 Herich Amaba
PO3 Rashid Anton
PO2 Hernanie Decipulo Jr
PO3 Felix Enate Jr
PO1 Esprielito Lejarso
PO1 Narkouk Mascud
SPO1 Eduardo Ong
PO2 Saudi Pasutan
PO1 Arnulfo Soriano
PO1 Pia Kamidon
PO3 Abibudin Abdulgani
PO2 Hamad Nana
PO1 Esmael Guialal
SPO1 Oscar Donato
PO1 Abdula Baguadatu
PO2 Saudiar Ulah
Police Inspector Michael Joy Macaraeg

The 17 were among the over 100 personalities linked to the killing of 58 people in Maguindanao province on November 23, 2009. Among the accused are prominent members of the powerful Ampatuan political family.

Dead suspect

One of the 17 policemen, Decipulo, died in February 2012. He reportedly jumped from the roof of the four-storey Quezon City Jail's Annex building, where he was detained along with the Ampatuans and fellow policemen tagged in the massacre.

Decipulo had just spoken with his wife on the rooftop during visitation hours when he jumped to his death.

Jail officials had been quoted as saying Decipulo seemed "depressed" days before the incident. He was among the accused who were being considered by the prosecution for conversion to state witness status.

Wake up call

Private prosecutor Nena Santos, who represents families of 25 of the 58 victims, admitted being "saddened" by Solis-Reyes' bail grant.

“It is a wake up call to the public prosecutors that they should not rest in evidence in chief  yet, as the grant of bail will give the prosecution the opportunity to present more evidence to strengthen the evidence against the accused policemen,” she told GMA News Online.

Despite being granted bail, the 17 policemen-suspects remained the subject of separate administrative cases before the National Police Commission related to the massacre, Santos said.

“These policemen did not stop the abduction that led to the massacre of the 58 victims. They should still be held liable administratively and stripped of their position as members of the Philippine National Police,” she said.

Santos said she would ask Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to review the work of the panel of public prosecutors handling the massacre case.

Bribery

Santos recently alleged that she was offered, but refused, P300 million in bribes from the camp of the Ampatuan family.

She said she opposed the decision of their counterparts in the public prosecution to rest the case, because that would mean no further evidence could be presented. She claimed there are still other evidence and testimonies that need to be presented in connection with the case.

Santos suspected the public prosecutors' move could be part of a “conspiracy” that would favor the accused.

Following Santos' statement, prosecution witness and former Ampatuan long-time aide Lakmodin Saliao claimed he had earlier been tasked to deliver money to an Ampatuan lawyer for distribution to public prosecutors and Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan III.

Saliao said P20 million from the total amount had been deposited to Baraan, an accusation that Baraan and the other public prosecutors vehemently and repeatedly denied.  —KBK, GMA News