ELECTION fraud witness former Maguindanao provincial administrator Norie Unas will remain a suspect in the grisly Maguindanao massacre case even as the government wants him to testify against the Arroyos in the alleged cheating in the 2004 and 2007 elections.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima stressed his becoming a state witness in the poll fraud case will not exclude Unas from other cases he is involved in.

De Lima said she was aware of the fact that Unas had been repeatedly identified by several prosecution witnesses as having knowledge of the massacre of 57 people -- including 32 journalists -- in Maguindanao on Nov.r 23, 2009.

"Yes it doesn't absolve him from his liability from other cases. Ang pinag-uusapan natin dito is poll fraud. I'm not sure kung formally charged s’ya although may nagdadawit sa kanya," the justice secretary told reporters.

"Alam ko merong mga witnesses but, as I said, walang kinalaman ito sa Maguindanao massacre. He will still have to face that charge," she added.

De Lima and Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu recently had a meeting at the DoJ and  discussed Unas' turning state witness in the alleged cheating in the 2007 elections.

At the meeting, Mangudadatu told the justice chief that Unas should not be admitted to the Witness Protection program because he had been repeatedly identified by several prosecution witnesses as having knowledge of the massacre.

"Humingi lang ng paliwanag si Toto (Mangudadatu) kung bakit ginamit si Unas as witness gayong sinasabi niya na may involvement ito sa Maguindanao massacre.

"I told him na pending ‘yung application niya ngayon (Unas) and it only pertains to the ongoing investigation into the poll fraud," De Lima explained.

Citing the WPP law, she said that Unas' immunity from criminal suit will only be with respect to the poll fraud and has nothing to do with the Maguindanao massacre.