A SON of the leader of the Ampatuan clan—Andal Ampatuan Jr., who is also the mayor of Datu Unsay town in Maguindanao—was yesterday charged with multiple murder for the massacre of 57 people, including the wife and sister of Buluan Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu, their clan members and journalists.
“I am innocent,” said Ampatuan as he faced reporters at the National Bureau of Investigation’s headquarters in Manila, where he was set to be detained last night.
“[The] MILF did it… Umbra Kato, [one of their leaders], because they are terrorists.”
Presidential Adviser on Mindanao Affairs Jesus Dureza said Ampatuan will be detained at the NBI center “for as long as needed.”
Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera said Mangudadatu filed the complaint before the prosecutor’s office in General Santos City hours after Ampatuan turned himself in to authorities.
Mangudadatu and Ampatuan faced each other for the first time after the massacre shortly during inquest proceedings at the VIP lounge of the General Santos City airport at 3 p.m.
Olive Suderia, head of the state-run Philippine Information Agency in Sultan Kudarat, said an “apparently angry and emotional” Mangudadatu entered the room and was about to point a finger at Ampatuan when he was stopped and asked to cool off.
Mangudadatu later was sworn in before City Prosecutor Edilberto Jamora. Mangudadatu was then led out of the room to ease the tension.
Ampatuan was joined by lawyer Siegfried Fortun and two cousins, Energy Undersecretary Samsamin Ampatuan and lawyer Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi, during the inquest, Suderia said.
Devanadera and Presidential Adviser on Mindanao Affairs Jesus Dureza witnessed the filing of murder charges.
Suderia said the specific allegations against Ampatuan were not available yet as they had yet to see a copy of the complaint.
Multiple murder is punishable by life imprisonment without parole.
Ampatuan arrived at Villamor Air Base last night on board an Air Force Fokker F-27, accompanied by Dureza, Devanadera and chief state prosecutor Jovencito Zuño.
He denied involvement in the massacre, but a witness yesterday put him at the scene of the crime and said he ordered the killing of all the Mangudadatus, including women and children.
The witness, who identified himself only as “Boy,” told the Al Jazeera network that he was among the 100 armed men who held up the convoy of political campaigners and journalists before taking them to a remote mountainous area where they were killed.
“Datu Andal himself said, he said to us: Anyone from the Mangudadatu clan—women and children—should be killed... We don’t ask why, we just follow orders,” Aljazeera quoted him as saying.
The witness, who is now in hiding, said all the women in the group were raped before being killed. He said Ampatuan ordered the reporters accompanying the convoy also killed to cover up what had happened.
Speaking to Aljazeera with his face covered to hide his identity, “Boy” said he was supposed to take part in the massacre but did not kill any of the victims. He said he would have been shot if he had tried to intervene.
“I was just standing there,” he said. “I was all alone... I could only leave it up to my conscience.”
Earlier reports said four other suspects were implicated in the crime: Maguindanao police provincial director Abusana Maguid, Shariff Aguak police Chief Sukarno Dikay, a certain SPO2 Bakal, and an Insp. Diobingan based on the statements of survivors of the massacre.
Devanadera could not confirm the reports.
National Police Chief Jesus Verzosa said 20 members of the Ampatuan police station and 347 militiamen were in custody, but that not all of them were considered suspects.
Authorities said the convoy of about 40 people was on its way to the Commission on Elections office to file the certificate of candidacy of Vice Mayor Mangudadatu for the gubernatorial race at 10:30 a.m. when they were blocked at a checkpoint manned by some 100 Maguindanao police and armed civilian volunteers, who were allegedly led by Ampatuan.
Soldiers and police later found 24 bodies, including those of Mangudadatu’s wife, Genalyn, and his two sisters, sprawled on the ground or shot in their vehicles about 5 kilometers from where they were ambushed, police spokesman Leonardo Espina said.
Reports said that a police Senior Insp. Dicay of Shariff Aguak accompanied Ampatuan. Three vehicles owned by the Mangudadatus were found burned.
Mangudadatu, who was not with the convoy, is said to be seeking the governor’s seat in the May 2010 elections and had asked his wife to file his certificate of candidacy.
Also killed were Mangudadatu’s sister, Mangudadatu town Vice Mayor Eden Mangudadatu; lawyers Connie Brizuela and Cynthia Oquendo and her father, Bai Farinah Mangudadatu; Faridah Sabdulah; Manguba Bai Mangudadatu, the vice mayor’s aunt; and Farida Mangudadatu, his youngest sister. With Fel V. Maragay, Joseph Jubelag, AP
