2 Maguindanao massacre suspects seized

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) captured two more suspects of the Maguindanao massacre, a police spokesman said Monday.

According to Senior Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr., Salik Bangkulat and Taya Karim Bangkulat were arrested in a pre-dawn operation of police and military units in Sultan Kudarat Monday.

The Bangkulat siblings were nabbed by members of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the 37th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army.

"They were arrested by virtue of warrants issued by Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court," Cruz said in a text message.

The two face 57 counts of murders and carried a reward of P250,000 each for their arrests. They are now in the custody of the CIDG in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao and will be brought to Manila to face trial.

With their arrests, authorities now have 78 suspects in the massacre in their custody with 117 others remain at large.

On November 23, 2009, men allegedly under the employ of the powerful Ampatuan clan gunned down a convoy carrying 57 people, including relatives of then Buluan vice mayor and now Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu. (Jonathan de Santos/Sunnex)