Gibo liable for arming Ampatuans - lawyer

A lawyer of the embattled Ampatuan family wants administration presidential aspirant Gilberto Teodoro Jr. charged for allegedly having a hand in the arming of the political clan. Philip Pantojan said it was under Teodoro’s watch as defense secretary that the Civilian Volunteers Organization (CVOs), which reportedly comprised the Ampatuans’ private army in Maguindanao province, was armed by the national government. “Why didn't the government include him [Teodoro] in the investigation? Is it because he’s a holy cow? Is it because he is the administration's presidential candidate?" Pantojan said in a phone interview. Several members of the Ampatuan clan, including its patriarch Andal Ampatuan Sr., have been slapped with rebellion charges aside from being tagged in the November 23 massacre of 57 people in Ampatuan town, Maguindanao. “There will be no massacre if there were no guns," Pantojan said. “How could you disperse the fact that the guns used by the CVOs were issued by the government?" The lawyer further said that if the investigation will find Teodoro liable, he could be included among those charged for murder. Wrong tree In an emailed statement, Sarangani Gov. Miguel Dominguez, president of Teodoro’s party, the Lakas-Kampi-CMD, said there was no legal basis to hold the former Defense chief liable for the diversion of firearms and ammunition to the military. “It is clear that the defense department has no operational control over the distribution of ammunition to military units. Accountable officers of the Armed Forces have control over the supplies and to where these will go," he said. During the eight-day imposition of martial law in Maguindanao early December, authorities seized large caches of firearms near and inside some of the Amptuans’ properties. In vacant lot in Barangay Poblacion Tres in Shariff Aguak, the recovered weapons bore the markings “Department of Defense (DND) Arsenal" and “Arms Corporation of the Philippines." Dominguez said that a military investigation is already underway to determine who were responsible for alleged arm pilferage. Revenge? Meanwhile, Pantojan denied that the Ampatuans were getting back at Teodoro for expelling three members of their clan from its roster over their alleged involvement in the Maguindanao massacre. Ousted from the party were Datu Unsay mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr.; his brother, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) governor Zaldy Ampatuan; and Ampatuan Sr. The government placed Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat and Cotabato City under martial law from December 4 to 11, 2009, to crush what it said was a looming rebellion led by the Ampatuans to prevent authorities from arresting some of their family members in connectin with the masacre. - Aie Balagtas See/KBK, GMANews.TV