The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is more than willing to help the Philippine National Police (PNP) in tracking down and arresting the remaining 80 suspects in the 2009 Maguindanao massacre in which 58 people, including 31 journalists, were killed.
“The AFP vigorously supports the PNP in law enforcement operations as in the previous cases. The manhunt for the remaining suspects in the Maguindanao massacre who are still at large is no different,” said AFP spokesman Marine Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo.
The Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 earlier found Datu Andal Ampatuan Jr., Zaldy Ampatuan and other members of the powerful clan guilty of murder in the worst election-related violence and one of the deadliest attacks against journalists.
On the other hand, the court acquitted Sajid Islam Ampatuan and Datu Akmad “Tato” Ampatuan Sr. and several police suspects due to reasonable doubt.
The verdict was considered partial because 80 more suspects are at large.
One of the victims’ lawyers, Nena Santos, said many of these suspects were actual shooters in the massacre.
In a separate interview on Dobol B sa News TV, Presidential Task Force on Media Security executive director Undersecretary Joel Egco said they will continue hunting down the remaining suspects.
Egco noted they started the manhunt against the suspects at large in February 2018, but halted their operation to avoid further delaying the case.
Since the court already promulgated this first batch of suspects, Egco said they will continue hunting for the remaining suspects.
Meanwhile, journalists from MindaNews, Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalisn, and National Union of Journalists of the Philippines urged their fellow workers to go beyond the ordinary stories about the massacre.
Malou Mangahas, PCIJ co-founder, said the favorable ruling of Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 Judge Jocelyn Reyes should not create a false euphoria, citing the case is not yet over.
“We still have an unfinished business. There will be still an appeal before the higher court,” she said.
Saying the kin of the victims of the Maguindanao massacre are not yet that safe, Mangahas called on fellow journalists to look into the profile of those who were convicted as accessories to the crime, mostly police officers.
“Are they still in office? Have they been suspended or dismissed? Those are the questions we have to ask from the Philippine National Police,” she said.
“This is important. In short to minimize the threat… This is not just a simple court conviction. There will be a residual [effect] on the lives of the relatives,” she said.
“These are the questions we should ask of the PNP, prosecution, Department of Justice and even the Presidential Communications Office since they (victims) were media workers,” she added.
She said the court must quickly enforce an arrest warrant against the 80 other accused who continued to remain at large.
Moreover, Mangahas, said the state prosecutors have failed to file a civil case against the Ampatuans and to preserve their assets.
She said the PCIJ has even come up with stories of how rich the Ampatuans were, citing some of properties of former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Jr. were even sold to landlords in Angeles City, Pampanga and in several other areas.
“Unfortunately, the court came up with a freeze order 11 days after the sale,” she said.
“There are so many properties. A lot of high-powered guns of the Ampatuans that were seized were submitted to amnesty,” the group said.
Mangahas said some of the guns were given to high-ranking police of senior ranks as “gifts.”
“There was a lull (period) soon after Nov. 23, 2009. We have some witnesses who said the personal assets, jewelry and cash had been transported outside the Ampatuans’ mansion,” she said. “Over the years, they started to disappear.”
She said the Ampatuans and their associates had 597 different bank accounts, over 300 guns and over 100 vehicles registered in their names.
“They have big mansions, too. The kin of the victims, the widows are in a sorry state,” she added. With PNA
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