Andal Jr. frisked victims before massacre — witness

A witness in the Maguindanao massacre claimed that prime suspect Andal Ampatuan Jr. himself frisked the victims before they were killed in November last year. During the resumption of the Maguindanao massacre trial at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City on Wednesday, farmer Norodin Mauyag, the prosecution's second witness, said Andal Jr. frisked the victims and pulled their shirts up before the killing began. Mauyag told a Quezon City court that the 57 victims were coming from Sultan Kudarat when they were stopped at a checkpoint along the highway of Sitio Malatin, Barangay Salman, Ampatuan town. Mauyag said the checkpoint was set up by Datu Kanor, Andal Jr.'s uncle and brother of the clan patriarch, Andal Ampatuan Sr. Kanor's men allegedly approached the victims' vehicles, "banged them and pointed guns to the passengers," the witness said. Kanor then allegedly ordered the victims to alight their vehicles before taking away their cellphones, bags, and other personal belongings. The victims were reportedly then herded to the "Canteen Kerem" on the other side of the road, where they waited for Andal Jr.'s arrival. Upon arriving at the scene, Andal Jr., the former mayor of Datu Unsay town, allegedly approached the victims and shouted: "Dapa!" (Lie face down.) Andal Jr. then reportedly asked his men to check if the victims still had their cellular phones with them. "Kinapkapan din niya yung mga gathered na tao at tinaas pa ang shirts nila," Mauyag told the court before demonstrating Andal Jr.'s alleged actions. The victims On November 23, 2009, the people in the convoy were on their way to file the candidacy of then gubernatorial candidate Esmael Mangudadatu, a political rival of the Ampatuans. A total of 57 people were killed in the massacre including Mangudadatu's wife, sisters, two lawyers, more than 30 journalists, aides, and motorists who were mistakenly identified as part of the convoy. Smiling and laughing As Mauyag was reenacting how Andal Jr. was frisking the victims, the prime suspect was seen smiling or laughing inside the courtroom. [See related: Andal Jr threatened to ‘kill Toto next,’ prosecution lawyer claims] Mauyag, whose house was near the checkpoint, claimed he had seen how Kanor gathered his men, a mix of around 100 militiamen and policemen, a few days before the November 23 massacre. Mauyag said he was just around six meters away from Kanor when the latter allegedly used a two-way radio to tell someone on the other end about the arrival of the Mangudadatu convoy at the checkpoint. Mauyag claimed that the convoy included "eight trucks," – including a white pick-up van and another van with a "UNTV" logo. As of this posting, the hearing of the multiple murder case was still ongoing. — LBG/VVP/RSJ, GMANews.TV