NBI: Ampatuan earns ‘most hated’ title while in detention

Aside from being a "datu" and a "mayor," a key suspect in last week's Maguindanao massacre has earned a new title--"most hated"--while in detention in a government facility. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said Datu Unsay town Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. has earned the title of "most hated" detainee, prompting them to beef up security for him. "Most hated person ito sa detention cell. Binabantayan natin siya na walang mangyari sa kanya para ang proseso ng batas ay patuloy (He has become the most hated person in the detention cell. We have to keep an eye on him)," lawyer Ricardo Diaz, NBI spokesman for the Maguindanao massacre, said in an interview on dzXL radio. Diaz did not give details why he said that the mayor has earned the title “most hated" detainee, but he said the agency has alerted personnel in its security management unit to watch Ampatuan closely. But Diaz cited that since last week, people claiming to be his "security aides" had been showing up at the NBI, but were turned away after verification.

Also, Diaz claimed that some people posing as the mayor's relatives had been sending food items but Ampatuan would deny being related to them. "Yung pagkain dinadaan sa security management. Di natin maiwawala ang posibilidad maraming gusto pumatay sa kanya (Food brought for the mayor is now going through inspection by our security management team. We cannot discount the possibility many people want him killed)," Diaz said. For now, the beefed-up security measures appear to be adequate. "Siya ay sa mabuting kalagayan sa ngayon (He is in good condition for now)," he added. The mayor has been locked up at the NBI detention facility since Thursday last week, after he agreed to turn himself in for investigation. Mayor Ampatuan is considered a key suspect in the November 23 massacre of at least 57 people in Ampatuan town in Maguindanao. In an earlier interview, Diaz said they allowed Ampatuan to sleep at the outer area of the detention cell, after the mayor claimed to be scared of ghosts. [See: Stress, ‘ghosts’ haunt Andal Jr. inside NBI jail] A report by radio dzBB's Carlo Mateo said the NBI is also drawing up security plans to bring Mayor Ampatuan to Mindanao if a Mindanao court is tasked to handle the case against him. Diaz also said they are preparing security measures for the possible detention at the NBI of "co-conspirators" in the case. But, he did not elaborate on this. The Department of Justice is expected to file seven counts of murder against Ampatuan anytime today [Tuesday]. - LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV