Maguindanao massacre suspect wants P11.4M bail reduced

An accused in the November 2009 Maguindanao massacre has asked the court to lower the P11.4 million bail requirement for his temporary freedom.

In a motion, PO2 Saudiar Ulah, through his legal counsel, asked for compassion from Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 to lower the bail bond she set in her October 13, 2014 Omnibus Order.

In her order, Solis-Reyes granted Ulah's bail petition, along with those of his 16 other co-accused, and set the bail at P200,000 each for each count of murder filed against them. The accused are facing 57 counts of murder.

In his bail, Ulah cited the Supreme Court's “Guidelines for Decongesting Holding Jails by Enforcing the Rights of Accused Persons to Bail and to Speedy Trial” that was promulgated March 18, 2014.

Section 1 of the guidelines states that: "The Department of Justice's Bail Bond Guide shall be considered but shall not be controlling. In no case shall the court require excessive bail."

"For which reason, accused Ulah is begging the kind indulgence of the Honorable Court to exercise of its compassionate discretion to reduce bail requirement based on the guidelines set forth under the cited provision of the administrative matter," read part of Ulah's motion.

Ulah's camp said he does not have the financial ability to post the required bail, especially since he is not a ranking police officer. Besides, his camp argued, Ulah has not been receiving "even a single centavo from his usual salary" since being detained on December 8, 2009.

Ulah said his father, Ismael Ulah, used to serve the government but is retired and could not extend financial assistance to him.

The accused policeman also stressed that he is not among the principal suspects in the crime, adding that he has not been identified by any prosecution witness and has not been implicated in any of testimonies offered by the prosecution.

There is even no documentary evidence implicating him, Ulah pointed out.

"Movant was not even among the respondents during the preliminary investigation of these cases, but as witness relied upon by the prosecution," read the motion.

Ulah's camp said he has no history of previous crimes or offenses, and has no pending cases other than the ones related to the Maguindanao massacre, where 58 people, including 32 journalists, were killed.

Facing trial in connection with the carnage are prominent members of the powerful Ampatuan clan, including its patriarch and his three sons. The trial is now on its fifth year. —KBK, GMA News