Cop says fear of Andal Jr drove him to participate in massacre

A former police official who was among those who manned the checkpoint that blocked the doomed convoy of the victims of the Maguindanao massacre on Wednesday said he agreed to participate in the killings out of fear of prime suspect Andal Ampatuan Jr. Inspector Rex Ariel Diongon, a suspect who is also a prospective state witness, told a Quezon City court that he was present in a meeting last November 19 – or four days before the massacre – at an Ampatuan house where Andal Jr., then mayor of Datu Unsay town in Maguindanao, allegedly planned the crime. Diongon, then head of the 1508th Regional Mobile Group (RMG), said present during the meeting were ranking local police officials including then deputy Maguindanao provincial director Sukarno Dicay and heads of the 1507th and 1506th RMG. When the meeting started, Andal Jr, who at that time was seated next to Diongon, allegedly asked him: "Lieutenant, kilala mo ba ang mga kaibigan natin sa Buluan (Do you know our friends from Buluan)?" Asked who Andal Jr. was referring to, Diongon said the "Mangudadatu brothers." Esmael Mangudadatu was then Buluan vice mayor and was challenging the Ampatuans for governorship. Diongon said when he responded that he knew the Mangudadatu brothers, Andal Jr. then asked: "Kaya mo ba sila patayin (Can you kill them)?" "Yes," was Diongon's response to the former Datu Unsay mayor, but he clarified that he only replied so because of fear. "Natakot ako magsabi ng 'No.' Kasi sila ay ang Ampatuan at branded sila na kaya nilang pumatay ng tao (I didn’t say no because the Ampatuans are known in the province as killers)," Diongon said. [See related: Cop in Ampatuan massacre admits fabricated affidavit] P15,000 for food Diongon also testified that Andal Jr., during the same meeting, handed out money to him, Dicay, a certain Inspector Mokamad of the 1507th RMG, and a certain Inspector Mariga of the 1508th RMG. He said he did not know how much money was given to the others, but added he was given P15,000 that was taken out of Dicay's share. "Dicay told me if Andal Jr. had already given me money. I said, 'Not yet,'" Diongon said, adding that Dicay just decided to share a portion of his money to him. Diongon claimed that he used the money given to him to buy food that they would be eating for their four-day stake out at the checkpoint at Sitio Malatin in Barangay Salman in Ampatuan town. [See related: Andal Jr, men beat up victims first before shooting them - witness] Asked by GMANews.TV if the money given to the police officials could be considered bribe, prosecution lawyer Pete Principe, who represents families of 26 of the 57 victims, refused to answer lest he be cited in violation of sub judice rule. Principe, however, said the "highlight" of Diongon's testimony was that he said Andal Jr had instructed them to set up checkpoints to block the convoy, proof that the former vice mayor planned the attack. Diongon was a graduate of the Philippine National Police Academy and served as chief of the Gindulingan town police from April to September 2008. He was then transferred to the 1508th RMG, which he began heading in February 2009. Diongon said when they manned the checkpoint at Sitio Malatin from November 19 to 23, he took with him around 17 of his subordinates, nine of which he positively identified to be present in court during Wednesday's hearing, which was not attended by Andal Jr, who was said to be not feeling well. Apart from Diongon, the prosecution is asking that charges be dropped against three other suspects in the murder case so they could be turned into state witnesses. The hearing is ongoing as of posting time in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City. - KBK, GMANews.TV