Monster killers unleashed in ‘vote-rich’ Maguindanao

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO
March L. Fianza

BAGUIO CITY -- As of this writing, the headcount in the Maguindanao massacre of harmless civilians last Monday reached 57, composed of two female lawyers identified as indigenous peoples’ rights advocates Concepcion “Connie” Brizuela and Cynthia Oquendo, over 30 journalists representing different radio, TV and print outfits, and seven women members of the Mangudadatu family, including the wife, sisters and aunt of Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu, who were all reportedly raped.

The victims were on their way to file the certificate of candidacy of Buluan Vice Mayor Ismael Mangudadatu for Maguindanao governor at the Comelec office in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao when they were stopped by some 100 armed men allegedly led by mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr.
The mayor is being pitted by the Ampatuan clan against Vice Mayor Mangudadatu of Buluan for the provincial gubernatorial post in the 2010 polls.

The victims, including their cars and vans, were by design buried in a mass grave at Barangay Salman in Ampatuan town immediately after they were shot at like sitting ducks. Friends from Mindanao say the number might reach more than 60.

The suspects in the monstrous slaughter were none other than the main victims’ political rivals – the Ampatuans namely, Datu Unsay mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr, Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Governor Datu Zaldy Uy Ampatuan.

The lead perpetrator was suspected to be with around a hundred men to include practically the entire local police force, para-military forces and senior police officials. The Ampatuans have under their command a private army of more than 300 armed civilian volunteers, including Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Units (CAFGU) that the government detailed to the provincial governor aside from government soldiers assigned in units outside of Maguindanao.

A simple assessment of last Monday's (Nov. 23, 2009) massacre in Maguindanao is that it was premeditated. I asked an equipment operator if a backhoe can dig in just a few hours a big hole that could accommodate six motor vehicles, and he told me that it would take around a day and a half to do that.

When the first batch of police investigators arrived at the killing fields of Maguindanao, they came upon a backhoe. They assessed that it was already in the area days before the Monday massacre. Hence, the graves were ready in advance while the gun men waited for their victims.
Barring any report by the police that again the incident is isolated, which is their usual statement in moments of crisis, media friends from the area say that it may not be so isolated considering that there were instances of disappearances in the past.

For example, more than a hundred people were murdered during the 2007 elections, including those who were at that time tallying votes. The police reported that the 2007 election was relatively peaceful compared to that of 2004, even as records showed that 189 people died in the latter election year. Your response to why nobody was brought to justice in the past is as good as anybody’s.

Maguindanao Rep. Didagen Dilangalen said, many weeks ago there was already a confrontation between the Mangudadatus and the Ampatuans. He said, “I do not know if the police reported this. The local police know the situation in Maguindanao. They know who are carrying guns but what are they doing?”

Dilangalen, of course, knew the answers to his questions. It is publicly known that politicians in Mindanao and in some other parts of the country, especially those allied to the administration, get special favors.

In fact, the Ampatuans were beneficiaries in a memorandum issued by DILG Secretary Ronaldo Puno in 2006 authorizing the civilian volunteer organizations (CVOs) in Mindanao to bear arms.

The CVOs became a private army who were then supplied with guns and ammunition by the military to help fight the enemies of the state. They were used as the counter-force against secessionist groups in Mindanao . In other words the government helped give birth to a monster, made use of it but it grew so big until it could not be controlled.

Malacanang was quick in creating the Maguindanao Crisis Committee which resulted to the “arrest” of mayor Andal. Malacanang also ordered the military to disarm the private armies which resulted to the confiscation of 443 “old rifles.”

Expectedly, the firearms that were surrendered were not the ones used in the massacre. According to earlier reports, M-50s, shotguns and other high-powered guns were used. But since, the military and police dilly-dallied, pending the orders from Malacanang, the firearms that were actually used in the massacre were possibly disposed off in the marshes somewhere.

Apparently, something else happened within the three days that Malacanang did not immediately order the arrest of the perpetrators. Of course, GMA was immediately informed of the heinous crime committed by her political allies, and the normal thing to do is to immediately reach by phone whoever she thought would enlighten her.

But things turned out the other way. No immediate arrests were made and the suspects were able to get rid of important evidences that could link them to the crime. Remember too, the Ampatuans are very close political allies in Maguindanao.

The Ampatuan clan had a role in the 2004 elections that gave GMA another six years in power, where Maguindanao gave Fernando Poe Jr. who was known to be a many a Muslim’s big hero – a big zero. In his hello Madam conversations in the phone, Mr. Garci could have been talking about the Ampatuans and Maguindanao.

The “quick” creation of the Maguindanao Crisis Committee led to the “arrest” of Andal Jr. He was brought in to Manila as a VIP (very important perpetrator) as proven by a government official who said that Andal “is properly restrained,” although on TV, the plain view was that he was held loosely on the arms by two men, no handcuffs.

A standard statement of condemnation from Malacanang was also made, but when it came, I thought it was better for the Philippines and the world that was watching if they condemned themselves instead.

Thinking of holding a plus against the administration and noting that not one was jailed for the 2004 election fraud in Maguindanao, the Ampatuan warlords became bolder in their move, violently waylaying every opponent because of perceived reassurances of support from their allies in Malacanang.

The incident also resulted to the Ampatuans being kicked out as members of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD, but what effect does that have when close to 60 people were massacred. Pa-pogi laeng dyta.

There were even newspaper reports about Malacanang’s attempt to stop Esmael Mangudadatu from running against Andal Jr., meaning, the administration party already knew about a political disagreement.

With that, how come no one was ordered to be disarmed? Was someone thinking that with the Ampatuans still armed, unleashed and continuously unrestrained, a repeat of the 2004 and 2007 zero-vote could happen again? In whose favor? – marchfianza777@yahoo.com