Biazon charges ‘political payback’

SEN. Rodolfo Biazon yesterday said the snail-paced investigation on the Maguindanao massacre last Monday could only be attributed to the political debts by President Arroyo to the Ampatuan clan.

"Why are the suspects being treated with kid gloves? Are they (administration) afraid of the Ampatuans? Maybe not really, because of their (Ampatuans) sheer power but because of the skeletons in the closets regarding the 2004 and 2007 elections," Biazon said.

The Mangadadatu clan, which lost family members, relatives and supporters, has tagged the Ampatuans, their known political rival, as behind the massacre.

Biazon said the President could be haunted by her political debts to the Ampatuans.

The President and her administration candidates won by a landslide in Maguindanao in the 2004 presidential elections and 2007 midterm elections.

Rep. Neri Colmenares (PL, Bayan Muna) renewed calls for Arroyo to resign.

He said Arroyo was indecisive in resolving the incident, saying other world leaders would have resigned for issues of lesser magnitude.

Colmenares’ call was echoed by Rep. Joel Villanueva (PL, Cibac) and Rep. Joel Maglunsod (PL, Anakpawis)

Villanueva said: "We call on the President to resign after her government failed to show decisive action in resolving the Maguidanao massacre."

Maglunsod said Arroyo should no longer stay in power for her continued failure to contain the culture of violence against innocent civilians."
– Gerard Naval and Wendell Vigilia


Source: http://www.malaya.com.ph/11272009/news6.html