Arroyo ‘care’ promised for Andal Jr.’s surrender — witness

A prosecution witness in the Maguindanao massacre case on Wednesday said prime suspect Andal Ampatuan Jr. agreed to surrender November last year after being promised that he would be placed “under the care" of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Lakmodin Saliao, an Ampatuan househelp for almost two decades, told the court that it was former Maguindanao Rep. Didagen Dilangalen who initially worked for the surrender of Ampatuan Jr. He said Dilangalen met with Andal Sr., the Ampatuan clan patriarch, the day after the November 23 massacre to convince him to surrender his son. He said the meeting took place at the Ampatuans’ farm in Barangay Bagong in Shariff Aguak. “Kinakausap niya [Dilangalen] si Andal Sr. para iharap si Andal Jr. para sumuko," Saliao told the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 at the first day of the trial proper at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City. “Pero sabi ni Andal Sr., isusuko lang si Andal Jr sa pangangalaga ni President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo," he added. (Dilangalen asked Andal Sr. to surrender Andal Jr., but Andal Sr. said he would only surrender his son to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.) In response, Dilangalen allegedly assured Andal Sr. that they would do everything they can to help Andal Jr. Saliao said Andal Sr. then asked him to dial the number of then presidential adviser on Mindanao Jesus Dureza. “Andal Sr. asked me to call Dureza para sabihin niya na ibibigay lang si Andal Jr. sa pangangalaga ni Arroyo (to tell him that Andal Jr. will only be surrendered to Arroyo)," he said. Saliao said after 15 to 20 minutes of conversing over the phone, Dureza reportedly agreed to Andal Sr.’s request. Dureza went to Maguindanao on November 25 and arrived at the Ampatuan mansion about 2 p.m. Members of the powerful Ampatuan clan were said to be strong political allies of Arroyo in Mindanao. Saliao also told the court that he was present when the Ampatuans met in November 17 and 22 to plan the attack on the convoy led by members of the rival Mangudadatu political clan. He said the meetings were held in the mansions of then Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) governor Zaldy Ampatuan and Andal Sr. in Shariff Aguak. The attack claimed the lives of 57 people. Aside from members and supporters of the Mangudadatu clan, 32 journalists were also killed. The convoy was on its way to Shariff Aguak to file documents for Esmael Mangudadatu’s candidacy for Maguindanao governor for the May 10, 2010 elections. The journalists were there to cover the event. Mangudadatu, who lost his wife and two sisters in the massacre, won in the May elections. — KBK/RSJ, GMANews.TV