MANILA (PNA) – The police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) on Wednesday announced that the guns recovered from the two arrested suspects matched with the firearms used in the killing of Suwaib Upham, the self-confessed participant in last year’s Ampatuan massacre in Maguindanao.

In a press briefing, CIDG chief Director Leon Nilo dela Cruz said that based on the cross-matching examination done by the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) on the .45 caliber pistol seized from Bado Pasawilan and Morsel Simpal yielded positive results, matching the firearms used in the killing of Upham, alias Jessie.

Pasawilan and Simpal were arrested by police operatives last July 2 from their residences in Parang, Maguindanao. They were tagged as suspects behind the June 14 killing of Upham.

“Subsequently examination conducted at the crime lab revealed that this .45 pistol matched with three of the seven empty shells recovered from the crime scene,” said Dela Cruz.

For his part, Task Force Maguindanao chief Senior Supt Benito Estipona, who is also the deputy director for administration of CIDG, said Simpal is an active member of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) while Pasaliwan was said to be the one who orchestrated the plan to kill Upham.

Upham, during media interviews, claimed to be one of the more or less 100 armed men, allegedly led by former Datu Unsay town Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., who perpetrated the November 23, 2009 massacre of at least 57 civilians and media practitioners in Ampatuan town.

However, Estipona said that until now they were still conducting investigation to verify whether Upham was really present during gruesome massacre as initial verification showed he was not among those charged. (PNA)