MANILA, Philippines - Private arms dealers and several policemen are in hot water in connection with the large arms caches, allegedly of the powerful Ampatuans, recovered by authorities in Maguindanao after the bloody November 23 massacre.

In a 4-page complaint filed at the Department of Justice (DOJ), Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) Investigation Division chief Generoso Bonifacio said 7 individuals should be held liable for the unlawful manufacture, sale, acquisition, disposition, or possession of firearms and ammunition.

Those named in the complaint were:

Chief Superintendent Bensali Jabarani of the Police Regional Office - Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PRO-ARMM);

Superintendent Bahnarin Unas Kamaong of the15th Regional Mobile Group chief in PRO-ARMM; and,

Senior Superintendent Danilo Maligalig, chief of the Firearms Explosives Division (FED) based in Camp Crame, PNP National Headquarters.

Four executives of firearms manufacturer and supplier Arms Corporation of the Philippines (Armscor) are also facing charges. They were identified in the complaint as Victor M. Karunungan, Eduardo Santos, Lyn Demartin Justo, and Melva Valdez Libao.

The illegal arms were recovered in separate raids undertaken in Maguindanao after the November 23 massacre, where 57 people, including 30 journalists, were killed.

Separate complaints for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act were also filed against the 3 police officials.

Malversation

Several other retired and active police officials assigned in Maguindanao province were earlier accused of alleged malversation of public funds in connection with high-powered firearms recovered by authorities and allegedly used in the Maguindanao massacre.

The PNP-CIDG also filed complaints at the justice department.

The charges were filed against the follwing:

Superintendent Abusama Maguid, former Maguindanao provincial director;
retired Superintendent Mangelen Adam;
retired Maguindanao provincial director;
Inspector Bona Malampong Tamboka and Senior Police Officer 1 Pendulat Sambolawan, both assigned at the Shariff Aguak police station;
Police Officer 1 Warden Legawan, assigned at the Maguindanao police headquarters;
Police Officer 1 Samsudin Abdullah, who is assigned at the Datu Saudi Ampatuan Municipal police station.

Also charged before the justice department were:

Police Officer 1 Aldulkahar Edris;
Police Officer 1 Aratuc Zaman Maulana;
Police Officer 2 Datu Odin Baulo;
Police Officer 3 Gerardo Pama.

The CIDG complaint alleged that Maguid failed to account for 35 units of refurbished M16 Armalite rifles supposedly for the use of various municipal police stations in Maguindanao.

Firearms inventory

After several raids and seizures of arms caches allegedly of the Ampatuan clan in the province, authorities showed that some of the firearms used in the massacre belong to the PNP.

The discovery prompted the police and the military to conduct a thorough inventory of its properties and equipment in the ARMM.

Among those recovered were firearms of the PNP that were declared in 2008 as among the 109 assorted firearms supposedly destroyed when a fire hit the supply room of the 1508th Provincial Police Mobile Group office in Camp Datu Akilan Ampatuan in Shariff Aguak, capital town of Maguindanao.

A police investigation showed that the firearms were issued to Adam, Tambokan, Sambolawan, Legawan and Abdullah.

A separate complaint of malversation of public funds was also filed against Edris, Maulana, Baulo, Pama, Sambolawan, and Adam for their alleged failure to return 2 Toyota Hilux Patrol Jeep and 7 motorcycle units issued to them. With a report from Timi Nubla, ABS-CBN News