THE Armed Forces of the Philippines will work with the Philippine National Police (PNP) to go after 80 Maguindanao Massacre suspects who are still at large.
According to the Manila Times, PNP spokesman Brigadier General Bernard Banac said they needed help from government agencies.
He said no shoot-to- kill order or bounty had been issued against the fugitives.
He added that some fugitives were likely hiding in their bailiwick or being hidden by friends and relatives, and that going after the fugitives would be difficult in Maguindanao, which is composed of tribes and clans.
He ruled out speculation that the suspects had fled the country, saying it was difficult for them to leave because of the standing arrest warrants against them.
He also said that 17 out of the 36 policemen who were acquitted in the Maguindanao Massacre would return to the force.
The 17 officers were on leave without pay and were still being detained.
“Before they can be reinstated, the 17 cops will undergo mandatory drug, neuropsychiatric and physical tests to determine their fitness after having been away from the service for a very long period of time,” he added.
Thirty-six policemen were acquitted and 19 were found guilty in the verdict delivered by judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221.
Recently, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) said 42 people who were acquitted had been released.
BJMP spokesman Jail Chief Inspector Xavier Solda said four had not been released as they had pending cases in court.
The Maguindanao massacre, also known as the Ampatuan massacre, named after the town where mass graves of victims were found, occurred on the morning of Nov 23, 2009, in the town of Ampatuan in Maguindanao province, on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines.
The 58 victims were on their way to file a certificate of candidacy for Esmael Mangudadatu, vice mayor of Buluan, when they were kidnapped and later killed.