Key suspect in Maguindanao massacre nabbed

MAGUINDANAO --- Agents arrested in Sultan Kudarat town over the weekend a key suspect in the infamous Nov. 23, 2009 Maguindanao massacre.The ethnic Maguindanaon Tho Amino was cornered by agents of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao at Barangay Dalumangcob in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao at past 4and00 p.m. Saturday.Amino was one of more than 200 gunmen implicated in the brutal election-related murder of 58 people, among them the spouse of now Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu, Genalyn, and 32 journalists working for different media outfits in central Mindanao.Chief Supt. Graciano Mijares of the Police Regional Office-ARMM said Monday he is grateful to Supt. James Allan Logan, CIDG chief for the autonomous region, and the combined regional, provincial and municipal police personnel involved in the joint operation that resulted in the arrest of Amino. Credit also has to go to patriotic private individuals and local officials who helped the CIDG-ARMM locate the suspect, Mijares said. Logan said Amino yielded without resistance when he was informed that they have a copy of a warrant for his arrest issued by Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of the Regional Trial Court Branch 221 in Quezon City.The now eight-year sensational Maguindanao massacre case, which shook the nation to its core, is being litigated in the sala of Reyes in Quezon City for security reasons.