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Ammunition, ammo cases found inside Andal Jr.'s home


(Updated 5:00 p.m. ) Philippine security forces found empty ammunition cases and some ammo at the house of detained Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. in Shariff Aguak town in Maguindanao province, a day after a large weapons stash was unearthed near the mansion of the powerful Ampatuan clan.
Armed with a search warrant, government troops scour the houses of Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. and his father former Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. for weapons and ammunitions.- Photos by Jun Veneracion
A report by GMA News’ Chino Gaston said 14 empty ammo cases, some marked “Arsenal DND"—DND stands for Department of National Defense—were found by elements of the Philippine National Police's Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at the home of the prime suspect in the Maguindanao massacre. Two .50-caliber ammo and more than 10 ammo for M-16 rifles were also found within Andal Jr.’s home, after bomb-sniffing K-9 units led authorities to hammer down a concrete wall under the guard house where the boxes and bullets were hidden. The prime suspect in the November 23 killing of 57 people in Maguindanao, Andal Jr. is presently detained at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) headquarters in Manila. He faces multiple murder charges in connection with what is now known as the Ampatuan massacre. GMA News’ Emil Sumangil, in a separate report, said the house of Andal Jr.’s cousin, Datu Salibo mayor Akhmad Ampatuan was also raided by military and police forces. Authorities found on the rooftop one 12 gauge shotgun, while a few bullets were discovered inside the Datu Salibo mayor’s home. No weapon nor ammunition, meanwhile, was found inside the old house of Ampatuan patriarch Andal Sr., who was formerly governor of Maguindanao, when authorities entered it around 8 a.m. this morning, said GMA News’ Jun Veneracion in a separate report. The report said government forces had a difficult time entering the house as Andal Sr.’s lawyers questioned the search warrant, saying the house is no longer inhabited by Andal Sr. but by his son, incumbent governor Sajid Ampatuan. Authorities, however, eventually managed to get in and search the premises of the Ampatuan patriarch’s home. After three hours of searching with K-9 dogs, authorities did not find any weapon or ammunition inside the house or in any of the family’s numerous luxury cars parked in the garage. Among the vehicles found in the garage of Andal Sr.’s old house was the black Land Cruiser Andal Jr. rode in when he turned himself over for investigation to Secretary Jesus Dureza, Presidential Adviser on Maguindanao Affairs. The report quoted Sajid as saying the search was a form of “harassment," and that his camp would file appropriate charges against the police and military officials who entered his home. On Thursday, government troops unearthed light artillery and heavy infantry weapons, including commando weapons, explosives, ammunition, and military uniforms from a vacant lot near the Ampatuans’ mansion. [See: Guns, explosives, ammo unearthed near Ampatuan mansion]

PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa said all confiscated firearms would be subjected to forensic examination to determine if the weapons were used in the November 23 massacre. He vowed that all those responsible will be charged in court and arrested, saying “the rule of law will prevail." The military said hundreds of additional troops have been sent to Maguindanao province to protect the Ampatuan clan from "possible retaliation" in connection with last week's massacre, which is being blamed on the powerful Arroyo-allied family. The augmentation force, numbering around 400, would provide security to the provincial capitol and the Ampatuans' residences in Shariff Aguak town, according to Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr., chief of the Armed Forces' public information office. "This is to maintain the peace and order situation and prevent retaliation from the victims’ family. At the same time, they (soldiers) were sent to prevent other groups from taking advantage of the situation," Brawner said. At present, there are four infantry battalions and two mechanized units in Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat and Cotabato city - the three areas placed under state of emergency after the massacre. - Johanna Camille Sisante, RSJ, JHU GMANews.TV
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