Gov. Ampatuan denies ties to cop tagged in poll execs’ slays

DAVAO CITY -- Governor Zaldy Ampatuan of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) denied any relation to the Shariff Kabunsuan police officer, who was arrested over the recent murder of two ranking poll officials in Manila.

Ampatuan said he was not related to Police Officer 1 Basser Ampatuan although they shared the same surname.

Chief Superintendent Joel Goltiao, ARMM police chief, said they were investigating if the police officer was related to an influential clan in the region.

"We are trying to figure out, too, if he is related to influential politicians in the region," he said.

In issuing the denial, Ampatuan said he wanted to preempt suspicions that he or his family was behind the murder of Alioden Dalaig and Wynne Asdala, both heads of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) legal department.

"The victims are our friends and we have nothing to do with their deaths," Ampatuan said.

"I just heard his name today. Let's give the police a chance to investigate who is that man … where he came from," Ampatuan told a television station on Monday evening.

Goltiao said the police officer was arrested somewhere in Shariff Kabunsuan on Monday afternoon.

He said the suspect did not resist arrest when his colleagues raided his hideout.

"I cannot give you more details on that except to confirm that he was arrested. The Manila police office is handling his case," Goltiao told the Philippine Daily Inquirer, parent company of the INQUIRER.net.

He said the suspect was to be brought to Manila Tuesday.

A police source said three witnesses identified Ampatuan (the police officer) and a certain Irvin as responsible for the murder of Asdala and Dalaig (Source: Inq.net)