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Massacre suspect arrested in S. Philippines

31 July 2010 17:59 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. A suspect of the private army of a Muslim clan involved in last year’s worst massacre in the Philippine history that left at least 57 people dead, including 30 journalists, was wounded in a clash and arrested on Saturday, APA reports quoting Xinhua News Agency.

The suspect, Edris Casan, was injured following a gun battle with armed men around 4:00 p.m. in Datu Hoffer, a bailiwick township of Ampatuan clan in the southern Province of Maguindanao, said provincial police director Marcelo Pintac.

Pintac said Casan was later brought by his relatives at the hospital in nearby Shariff Aguak town where he was arrested by police.

"He used separate name at the hospital but he was passively identified by our informant that he was among those involved in the massacre," Pintac said.

"As of now the suspect is under hospital arrest due to his wounds at his left butt," he added.

The Philippine military earlier said other suspects in the Nov. 23 massacre are hiding within Shariff Aguak town but they are highly mobile.

Of the 196 people implicated in the mass killings, 62 of them have already been detained.

The 134 other suspects, 96 of them civilian volunteer organization members, 23 from the clan of Ampatuan and allies, 12 policemen, and four government soldiers, remain at large.

Former Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr., his son, former Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., his other son, Zaldy Ampatuan, the former governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, have been jailed while being tried for the massacre.