COTABATO CITY – A Maguindanao del Sur mayor arrested for murder last month is now temporarily out after posting bail.
The police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (CIDG)—the group that arrested last October 11 the mayor of Datu Salibo municipality, Solaiman Sandigan, and detained in their jail facility in Cotabato City—confirmed the mayor’s release Wednesday afternoon.
“The [Regional Trial Court in] Cotabato under Judge [Annabelle] Piang had issued a release order for his temporary liberty, and we have to abide,” said Lt. Col. Ariel Huesca.
Sandigan has been accused of involvement in the murder of Demson Silongan, a town councilor, who was assassinated on April 17 while on his way to a Sangguniang Bayan session at the municipal compound.
The incident was followed by another tragedy on August 16, when the victim’s brother, Datu Manot Silongan, who served as the barangay chairman of Pendetin in Datu Salibo town, was killed in a bomb attack in the nearby Shariff Saydona town of Maguindanao del Sur.
But these allegations was denied by the camp of Sandigan and countered the allegations in the court.
Sandigan was accused together with his son, Vice Mayor Khominie Sandigan, and several others.
A set of officials was replaced by the provincial government of Maguindanao del Sur to fulfill the rule of succession.
Mayor Sandigan is set to issue a statement in a press conference set Wednesday afternoon. (Ferdinandh Cabrera / MindaNews)
