Arroyo orders pursuit of Maguindanao massacre perpetrators

Despite her known ties to the perceived masterminds of the massacre in Maguindanao, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Tuesday ordered the “immediate, relentless pursuit" of its perpetrators and vowed that they would answer for the “dastardly" act. “No effort will be spared to bring justice to victims and to hold the perpetrators accountable to the full limit of the law," the President said at the start of the Cabinet meeting in Malacañang. Arroyo is a political ally of the Ampatuan clan, which the vice mayor of Buluan town in Maguindanao has tagged as the ones responsible for Monday's massacre that claimed at least 36 victims. The Ampatuans have not issued a statement on the incident. Arroyo instructed acting Defense Sec. Norberto Gonzales, acting Armed Forces chief of staff Lt. Gen. Rodrigo Maclang, Interior Sec. Ronaldo Puno and National Police chief Director General Verzosa to implement the order to go after the suspects. She also created a crisis committee headed by Presidential Adviser for Mindanao Affairs Jesus Dureza to handle the matter. Reacting to the incident, Vice President Noli de Castro also said the criminals who carried out the gruesome massacre should be brought to justice “no matter what power or political influence they wield." Security checkpoints Among those killed in the massacre was Genalyn Tiamzon-Mangudadatu, the wife of Buluan town Vice Mayor Datu Ismail “Toto" Mangudadatu. The Mangudadatus and Ampatuans are bitter political rivals in the southern Philippine province of Maguindanao. As of Tuesday noon, the military said 22 bodies have been recovered. The police had a higher figure of 24 bodies, and said they are still searching for other missing bodies believed buried at the massacre site. The victims, including Mangudadatu’s relatives, lawyers and journalists, were part of the convoy of about 40 to 46 people heading for the Maguindanao Comelec office to file the certificate of Mangudadatu, a gubernatorial aspirant. In her statement on Tuesday, Mrs. Arroyo said Maclang has ordered checkpoints to be set up in the area to ensure security in the province. More troops have also been deployed in the area. Earlier in the day, Toto Mangudadatu quoted four survivors in the incident as saying Ampatuan patriarch Andal Ampatuan Sr. and his son, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Governor Zaldy Ampatuan, ordered the massacre. "Order ng kanyang tatay (referring to Andal Sr.) at order ni Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan, yan ang kanyang statement [na] narinig ng witness ... May basbas ng kanyang tatay at regional governor (The witness said Andal Jr. claimed this was on the order of his father and Governor Ampatuan. So this has the blessing of his father and the regional governor)," Mangudadatu said in an interview on dzBB radio. Mangudadatu also said the witnesses claimed Datu Unsay town Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. (Andal Sr.’s son and Zaldy’s brother) approached the convoy of his wife and ordered her out of the vehicle. As of posting time, GMANews.TV was still trying to reach the Ampatuan family. Mangudadatu declined to name the survivors, whom he said are in his custody and would come out at the "proper time." - Sophia Dedace/YA, GMANews.TV