Military general: Intelligence reports show cops' links in massacre

The Philippine military apparently received intelligence reports indicating that some members of the Maguindanao provincial police force were involved in the massacre of 57 people in Ampatuan town last November 23. This was revealed by Lt. Gen. Raymundo Ferrer, chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Eastern Mindanao Command, when he took the witness stand on Friday during the trial of members of the Ampatuan clan over rebellion charges. The prosecution presented Ferrer to prove its claim that there is probable cause to charge in court several members of the Ampatuan clan and members of its supposed private army. Ferrer took over as Maguindanao military governor when the province was under martial law from December 4 to 12 last year. Before that, the Department of Interior and Local Government suspended all local government officials in the province to give way to an impartial investigation into the massacre. The government imposed martial rule after allegedly receiving reports of a "brewing rebellion" as shown by the massing up of reportedly armed supporters of the Ampatuans after some of the clan's leading members were implicated in the massacre. In his testimony, Ferrer defended the declaration of martial law, saying there was already a "breakdown of law and order" in the province at the time. As proof, Ferrer said that the local police and the local government of Maguindanao had become "uncooperative" with the military. He said he was forced to tap police forces from neighboring local units because the province was reportedly under the control of the Ampatuans. Several top police officials including Maguindanao police director Senior Superintendent Abusama Maguid, Maguindanao deputy director Chief Inspector Sukarno Adil Dicay, Ampatuan police chief SPO2 Badawe Bakal were relieved late last year in connection with the massacre. For their alleged involvement in the carnage, a number of local police officials and officers, as well as soldiers and people believed to be members of the Ampatuan clan's private army have also been charged with 57 counts of murder. Maguid and 13 other policemen were flown from Mindanao to Manila on Thursday to undergo "evaluation" to determine if they were accomplices to the crime. In response, the defense asked the prosecution to furnish the Ampatuan camp a written report about the supposed intelligence information linking the local police to the killings. Ampatuan lead counsel Sigfrid Philip Fortun said that without such a report, Ferrer's testimony in court would be deemed as hearsay. The defense likewise requested the prosecution to submit an inventory and pictures of the firearms and explosive devices unearthed by the military during the week-long martial rule in Maguindanao. The court is set to resume hearing the rebellion case on February 16. During Friday's hearing, a heated argument also ensued inside the court room at the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame, when the prosecution requested that defense lawyers to leave the room while Ferrer was on the witness stand. Prosecution lawyer Lamberto Fabros said the presence of the Ampatuan lawyers were unnecessary because Ferrer's statements were only meant to judicially determine that there is probable cause to charge the Ampatuans with rebellion. Fortun objected, saying they would only go out of the court room if the prosecution lawyers would do so as well. Presiding Judge Vivencio Baclig of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 77 favored Fortun and allowed the defense to listen to what Ferrer had to say. Baclig said Friday's proceedings were not only aimed to determine probable cause but also to hear the defense's motion to defer the transfer of detention of the Ampatuans and the other individuals accused of rebellion. The rebellion case was originally filed at a Cotabato City court but after the Supreme Court ordered the transfer of hearing to Metro Manila, the Justice department accordingly requested that the accused be brought to Manila. - LBG, RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV