Carnage sows fear among Maguindanao prosecutors
11/25/2009 | 09:28 AM
Last Monday's mass slaughter in Maguindanao has produced a chilling effect on provincial government prosecutors who fear that they might suffer the same fate of the 46 civilians massacred by suspected militiamen of the powerful Ampatuan clan, Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera admitted on Wednesday.
"Di sila makagalaw. Takot sila. Sa dami ng napatay na yan, ayaw nila magsibalik sa Maguindanao. Kaya ang ginawa namin, hindi taga-Maguindanao ang aming naka-standby na prosecutor doon," Devanadera told radio dzBB.
(The prosecutors in Maguindanao cannot move because they are scared. Because of the many deaths, they do not want to return there. So we got prosecutors who are not from Maguindanao.)
Maguindanao is a known turf of the Ampatuans. An investigative report done by the Philippine Center of Journalism’s Jaileen Jimeno in September 2008 probed the stronghold of the political clan in the province.
In a separate phone interview with GMANews.TV, DOJ Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor said a special team of prosecutors from General Santos City and Cotabato are handling the probe. The DOJ’s preliminary investigation of the case will be conducted in Manila for security reasons.
The prosecutors from the said areas are on standby in Maguindanao province to get statements from witnesses who can offer information about the killings that rocked the nation and the international community.
Task Force 211
Blancaflor is in General Santos City to help out in the investigation. He said that for the meantime, he would oversee the probe on the killing of the 12 media practitioners who were among the fatalities. Blancaflor heads Task Force 211, the DOJ task force on extrajudicial and media killings.
The journalists were part of the convoy led by Genalyn Mangudadatu, wife of Buluan town Vice Mayor Ismael "Toto" Mangudadatu. The group was bound for the Comelec office in Shariff Aguak town when they were abducted and later brutally killed by armed men in Ampatuan town.
Genalyn, escorted by women and lawyers, was supposed to file the certificate of candidacy of her husband who intends to run for governor in the 2010 elections.
Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr. reportedly wanted his son, Datu Unsay town Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., to succeed him in 2010. Toto Mangudadatu’s gubernatorial bid reportedly did not sit well with the Ampatuans, his family’s bitter political rival.
Last Tuesday, presidential adviser on Mindanao affairs Jesus Dureza said the Ampatuans and the Mangudadatus have expressed willingness to “submit themselves to whatever investigations."
Four survivors
Toto Mangudadatu earlier claimed he has four survivors in his custody who pointed to the Ampatuans as behind the killings. He, however, refused to turn over the survivors to local authorities for fear that they are controlled by the Ampatuan clan.
For his part, Philippine National Police spokesman Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina appealed to Mangudadatu to allow his witnesses to be interviewed.
"Kung pwede sana ibigay sa amin sa PNP para kunan ng statement para matapos ang investigation at masakdal kung sino ang kailangan isakdal, kargahan ng kaso para mabilis bigyan ng hustisya. Huwag itago. Walang mapuntahan ang pagtago," Espina said in an interview on dzXL radio.
(If possible, please turn over the witnesses to the PNP so we can get statements from them and prosecute those responsible. This is better than hiding them because hiding will not solve anything.)
The camp of Mangudadatu seems to have a valid reason for not turning their "witnesses" to authorities this early: four ranking police officials are themselves under investigation for their supposed involvement in the brutal slaying. [See: Maguindanao placed under state of emergency]
But Devanadera said that despite the initial stumbling blocks, they are confident they can eventually piece together a case based on the other evidence they can gather.
Also, Devanadera said the government will place all witnesses interviewed so far in the government’s witness protection program.
While Devanadera did not say if these witnesses included the four witnesses in Mangudadatu’s custody, she said none of the witnesses they interviewed so far have pointed to the Ampatuan clan as being behind the crime. - with Sophia Dedace/RSJ, GMANews.TV
"Di sila makagalaw. Takot sila. Sa dami ng napatay na yan, ayaw nila magsibalik sa Maguindanao. Kaya ang ginawa namin, hindi taga-Maguindanao ang aming naka-standby na prosecutor doon," Devanadera told radio dzBB.
(The prosecutors in Maguindanao cannot move because they are scared. Because of the many deaths, they do not want to return there. So we got prosecutors who are not from Maguindanao.)
Maguindanao is a known turf of the Ampatuans. An investigative report done by the Philippine Center of Journalism’s Jaileen Jimeno in September 2008 probed the stronghold of the political clan in the province.
In a separate phone interview with GMANews.TV, DOJ Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor said a special team of prosecutors from General Santos City and Cotabato are handling the probe. The DOJ’s preliminary investigation of the case will be conducted in Manila for security reasons.
The prosecutors from the said areas are on standby in Maguindanao province to get statements from witnesses who can offer information about the killings that rocked the nation and the international community.
Task Force 211
Blancaflor is in General Santos City to help out in the investigation. He said that for the meantime, he would oversee the probe on the killing of the 12 media practitioners who were among the fatalities. Blancaflor heads Task Force 211, the DOJ task force on extrajudicial and media killings.
ARMM Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan, center, walks beside armed security as he arrives at the airport in Cotabato City, Tuesday. Presidential political adviser Gabriel Claudio met with Zaldy to try to mediate in the long-running rivalry between the Ampatuans and the Mangudadatus. AP-Aaron Favila
The journalists were part of the convoy led by Genalyn Mangudadatu, wife of Buluan town Vice Mayor Ismael "Toto" Mangudadatu. The group was bound for the Comelec office in Shariff Aguak town when they were abducted and later brutally killed by armed men in Ampatuan town.
Genalyn, escorted by women and lawyers, was supposed to file the certificate of candidacy of her husband who intends to run for governor in the 2010 elections.
Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr. reportedly wanted his son, Datu Unsay town Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., to succeed him in 2010. Toto Mangudadatu’s gubernatorial bid reportedly did not sit well with the Ampatuans, his family’s bitter political rival.
Last Tuesday, presidential adviser on Mindanao affairs Jesus Dureza said the Ampatuans and the Mangudadatus have expressed willingness to “submit themselves to whatever investigations."
Four survivors
Toto Mangudadatu earlier claimed he has four survivors in his custody who pointed to the Ampatuans as behind the killings. He, however, refused to turn over the survivors to local authorities for fear that they are controlled by the Ampatuan clan.
For his part, Philippine National Police spokesman Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina appealed to Mangudadatu to allow his witnesses to be interviewed.
"Kung pwede sana ibigay sa amin sa PNP para kunan ng statement para matapos ang investigation at masakdal kung sino ang kailangan isakdal, kargahan ng kaso para mabilis bigyan ng hustisya. Huwag itago. Walang mapuntahan ang pagtago," Espina said in an interview on dzXL radio.
(If possible, please turn over the witnesses to the PNP so we can get statements from them and prosecute those responsible. This is better than hiding them because hiding will not solve anything.)
The camp of Mangudadatu seems to have a valid reason for not turning their "witnesses" to authorities this early: four ranking police officials are themselves under investigation for their supposed involvement in the brutal slaying. [See: Maguindanao placed under state of emergency]
But Devanadera said that despite the initial stumbling blocks, they are confident they can eventually piece together a case based on the other evidence they can gather.
Also, Devanadera said the government will place all witnesses interviewed so far in the government’s witness protection program.
While Devanadera did not say if these witnesses included the four witnesses in Mangudadatu’s custody, she said none of the witnesses they interviewed so far have pointed to the Ampatuan clan as being behind the crime. - with Sophia Dedace/RSJ, GMANews.TV
