By Mario J. Mallari
11/24/2009
An ambush, involving some 40 persons, 36 of them killed as of press time, resulting in women being raped, killed and mutilated by a group of deputized militia identified with Maguindano Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr., rocked Maguindano politics yesterday morning.
The wife of a Maguindanao gubernatorial bet, who is rival of Ampatuan for the seat, along with some supporters and journalists were reported dead, with some bodies still being unearthed as of press time.
The gubernatorial bet pointed to the incumbent governor and his clan as being behind the gruesome electoral murders.
The group that was massacred included local executives who were to file their certificates of candidacy and media practitioners who were invited to cover the event. They were first reported abducted, along with an initial 21 of whom were said to have been killed by some 100 armed men, allegedly led by a town mayor, in Maguindanao province yesterday morning.
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner confirmed the reported abduction of the group of Bai Genalyn Mangudadatu, wife of Buluan municipal Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu, and his sister Bai Eden Mangudadatu, the incumbent vice mayor of Mangudadatu town.
They were reportedly intercepted along Sitio Crossing in
male. But more bodies were found sprawled in the Maguindanao road where they were massacred.It is believed that no one survived the massacre.
Reports said Esmael Mangudadatu asked his wife to file his certificate of candidacy for governor of Maguindanao, believing that if women were with the party, the group would not be harmed by Amapatuan’s armed group.
The Mangudadatus, along with some supporters aboard a Toyota Hilux, Hi-Ace and a Land Rover, were reportedly stopped along the checkpoint in the boundaries of Ampatuan and Shariff Aguak towns by more or less 100 armed men, allegedly led by Datu Unsay town Mayor Andal Ampatuan.
Esmael Mangudadatu, in a radio interview, claimed some of the kidnapped victims have been killed, some beheaded, by their abductors, composed of some local police and civilian volunteers and the women raped before they were killed.
The group of Mangudadatu, which include lawyers Cynthia Oquendo and Connie Brizuela and some 30 local media practitioners, were reportedly brought near a Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) camp in Barangay Salman in Ampatuan town.
“The checkpoint was manned by joint forces of the PNP (Philippine National Police), SCAA (Special Cafgu Active Auxiliary) and a certain Mayor Ampatuan, we don’t know yet who is that mayor. We heard that there were already some people killed…we cannot release any statement because the situation is very tense,” said a source.
As of press time yesterday, there was no confirmation from both the military and police as to what really transpired in Maguindanao province.
Army 6th Infantry Division (ID) chief Maj. Gen. Alfredo Cayton said they already deployed troops, supported by armor vehicles, to check on the reported abduction.
For his part, Army’s 601st Infantry Brigade chief Brig. Gen. Medardo Geslani said the military is still verifying the reports about the incident but stressed he already dispatched troops to the area to join the operations along with the PNP to check on the situation.
“Our army troopers have reached the area where the vehicles and those held were taken... they were shot by the armed men,” Major General Alfredo Cayton said in a radio interview.
“We have recovered 21 bodies. Our men are continuing to scour the area to find the others.”
Cayton said he could not yet confirm who carried out the killings.
But armed forces spokesman Brawner said earlier that gunmen linked to a powerful politician had seized 40 people, including his political rivals and 20 local journalists.
Among those taken were the wife of a mayor in Maguindanao province, Esmael Mangundadatu, his aides and supporters, according to Brawner.
“We have alerted our troops to conduct pursuit operations. This is a law enforcement operation,” he told AFP before Cayton reported the 21 deaths.
The Mangundadatu clan is known to have a long-running feud with the family of Maguindanao’s incumbent Gov. Andal Ampatuan, who police say is known to control his own private army.
Brawner said there were about 100 gunmen, most of whom were militiamen deputized as government guards by Ampatuan’s family.
Brawner said the leader of the militiamen who staged the kidnapping was one of Ampatuan’s sons. Ampatuan was not immediately reached for comment.
Revenge killings and clashes among rival political families are common in Maguindanao and other parts of Mindanao island, where unlicensed firearms proliferate and parts of which are lawless.
Islamic militants on Mindanao have also been waging a separatist rebellion for decades.
Magudadatu said in interviews yesterday that the military has recovered the bodies of his wife, Genalyn and 35 others. He said his wife was raped and then killed. He also said that the hostages -- at least some of them -- were beheaded and mutilated.
The others who were found dead, according to Eshmael, were his lawyers Cynthia Oquendo and Connie Brizuela; Mr. Oquendo, the father of Cynthia; Bai Eden Mangudadatu, sister of the vice mayor; Rowena Mangudadatu; Manguba Bai Mangudadatu; and Farida Mangudadatu and the vice mayor’s sister.
In the group were a number of journalists. They have been listed as as Ian Tublan, Leah Dalmacio, Gina dela Cruz, Marites Cabutas, Bart Maravilla of Bombo radyo Koronadal; Joy Duay; Henry Araneta of DZRH; Andy Teodoro; Bong Reblando of Manila Bulletin; Mac-mac Areola; Jimmy Cabillo; and Nening Montano of DXCP.
There were also the supporters and staff of Eshmael.
Mangudadatu was quoted as saying that some of the victims were buried, using a backhoe, which he pointed out came from the provincial government.
Mangudadatu is running for a post held by the Ampatuans. Datu Unsay town mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., is said to be replace his father, Andal, who can no longer run for the post.
At the time of the massacre, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan and Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan were in Manila for an emergency meeting with Secretary Gabby Claudio.
The Ampatuans are loyal allies of President Arroyo.
Malacañang yesterday condemned in the strongest possible sense the violent murders in Maguindanao.
Local authorities initially ruled that the incident is election-related as reports claimed that the group of people who were abducted and slain was on the team of Mayor Mangandadatu.
“We are strongly condemning this (incident). We are still far from the election period and as much as we are campaigning, trying our best to have a peaceful and orderly election, incidents like these happen even before the campaign period starts,” Deputy Presidential Spokesman Lorelei Fajardo said.
Presidential Adviser for Political Affairs Claudio, meanwhile, added: “We are still trying to find out the facts. We are in shock and in total outrage. Justice will (be) served and the perpetrators punished whoever they are.”
Fajardo said they are yet to give a definite statement regarding the matter as they are still trying to get initial reports from the Philippine National Police (PNP) as of press time.
She, however, said this should already serve as stern warning to the PNP, AFP and the Commission on Elections (Comelec to further tighten security measures so as to avoid the same incident from happening again.
Former Press Secretary Jesus Dureza, meanwhile, hinted that a state of emergency may be warranted owing to the incident.
“This is a gruesome massacre of civilians unequaled in recent history. Even working women, mediamen were not spared. There must be a total stop to this senseless violence. I strongly recommend that a state of emergency be imposed in the area and everyone be disarmed. Anything less will not work,” Dureza said in a statement.
The President condemned in the strongest terms the violence in Maguindanao in a belated statement.
She directed the AFP through Secretary Norberto Gonzales and the police through Secretary of Interior and Local Government Ronaldo Puno to order their units to conduct immediate and relentless pursuit of the perpetrators, to secure the affected areas.
The President ordered Acting Secretary Gonzales, and the Acting Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Gen. Rodrigo Maclang to proceed to Maguindanao tomorrow morning to personally oversee military action against the perpetrators of these dastardly acts.
“No effort will be spared to bring justice to the victims and hold the perpetrators accountable to the full limit of the law. Civilized society has no place for this kind of violence, the President said, as she assured that the rule of law will be restored in the area, and the lawless elements neutralized.
With Aytch S. De la Cruz
Source: http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/20091124hed1.html
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