Camp of mayor and wife tagged in Maguindanao ambush says the couple surrendered
COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 23 May) – The camp of a town mayor in Maguindanao del Sur, who along with his wife, has been implicated in the killing of a vice mayor, claimed the couple voluntarily surrendered to authorities and were not arrested contrary to “fake news” being spread online.
According to the statement, Mayor Reynalbert Insular of South Upi and his wife, Janet P. Insular, surrendered to the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR) on May 20, to address allegations linking them to the death of vice mayor Roldan Benito.
It said the couple surrendered to demonstrate their readiness to cooperate and answer the charges filed against them.
Various media outlets, including MindaNews, reported that the police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) has arrested the Insular couple over their alleged link to the 2024 ambush and death of Benito.
Benito was killed in an ambush in Barangay Pandan, South Upi, Maguindanao del Sur on August 2, 2024, along with his aide, Weng Marcos. His wife Analyn and one of their children were injured in the attack.
The reports quoted the CIDG as saying that combined law enforcement agents nabbed the mayor and his wife in Barangay Making in Parang, Maguindanao del Norte on Tuesday. They are now being held at a CIDG custodial facility in Cotabato City.
The arrest was by virtue of a warrant of arrest for Murder, Frustrated Murder and Attempted Murder issued by Cotabato City Regional Trial Court Branch 27 on May 19, the reports said.
“This is a good opportunity for them to prove before the court that they are not involved and have no connection to the death of the Vice Mayor of South Upi, former Vice Mayor Roldan Benito,” the statement from the mayor’s camp said.
The statement described the allegations as “election propaganda” aimed at tarnishing the official’s reputation and his contributions to the people of South Upi.
It also labeled as “untrue and fake news” the social media posts about the couple’s arrest.
The Mayor’s legal team cited the case “People vs. Dario Roldan (G.R. No. L-22030),” which distinguishes a voluntary surrender from a situation where a warrant of arrest has already been issued and received by the accused.
According to the statement, at the time of their voluntary surrender at 11:00 a.m. on May 20, there was no arrest warrant yet.
“Our goal is to clarify this matter because it is creating a negative image against our good Mayor, and it is a distortion of what actually happened,” the statement continued, asserting the importance of providing the public with accurate information.
The legal team of Mayor Insular and his wife is reportedly studying the possibility of filing appropriate cases against individuals and entities responsible for spreading what they deem to be false and damaging information.
The mayor won as vice mayor on May 12. His wife ran as mayor but lost to the slain vice mayor’s sister Helen Benito. (Ferdinand B. Cabrera/MindaNews)
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