Police arrest Philippine massacre suspect
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Philippine police on Sunday arrested one of over 100 fugitives wanted in connection with the country's deadliest political massacre.
Mohamad Datumanong was caught in the southern province of Maguindanao while using a fake name and training to be part of a militia unit supervised by the army, police spokesman Senior Superintendent, Mr Agrimero Cruz, said.
"He had a 250,000 peso (5,500 dollar) reward for his capture," Mr Cruz said in a statement.
Datumanong was one of over 100 suspects still being hunted over the massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao which was allegedly carried out by the powerful Ampatuan clan in a feud with a rival family.
Prosecutors have so far charged 196 people with murder, including six members of the Ampatuan clan and several police officers who were loyal to the family, although the trial has been delayed since April.
Over 100 others however have remained at large, mostly members of Ampatuan's vast private army.
The Ampatuans had ruled Maguindanao for nearly a decade with the support of former president Gloria Arroyo, who allowed them to run their own private army to serve as a proxy force against Muslim rebels.
Arroyo swiftly cut official ties with the Ampatuans after the massacre, but relatives of the victims and their lawyers believed she continued to protect them until her term as president ended on June 30.
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