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Philippines: Maguindanao Massacre November 28, 2009

Posted by Aldrian Inocencio in Uncategorized.
Tags: Maguindanao Massacre
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The Maguindanao massacre, also known as the Ampatuan massacre (after the town where the mass graves were found), occurred on the morning of November 23, 2009, in the town of Ampatuan in Maguindanao province, on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. The victims were about to file a certificate of candidacy for Esmael Mangudadatu, vice mayor of Buluan town. Mangudadatu was challenging Datu Piang mayor Andal Ampatuan, Jr., son of the incumbent Maguindanao governor Datu Andal Ampatuan Sr., in the forthcoming Maguindanao gubernatorial election, part of the national elections in 2010. Those killed included Mangudadatu’s wife, his two sisters, lawyers, aides, and motorists who were witnesses or were mistakenly identified as part of the convoy.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called the Maguindanao massacre the single deadliest event for journalists in history. At least 34 journalists are known to have died in the massacre. In a statement, CPJ executive director Joel Simon noted that the killings, “appears to be single deadliest event for the press since 1992, when CPJ began keeping detailed records on journalist deaths.” The CPJ further noted that, “Even as we tally the dead in this horrific massacre, our initial research indicates that this is the deadliest single attack on the press ever documented by CPJ.

Even before the Maguindanao massacre, the CPJ had labeled the PhilippinesIraq. the second most dangerous country for journalists, second only to

Background

The Ampatuans had been in control of Maguindanao since 2001. Members of Lakas-Kampi-CMD, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo lists Andal Ampatuan, Sr., as a major ally in Mindanao. Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) regional governor Zaldy Ampatuan was the party’s regional chairman. Andal Sr., the family patriarch, has been provincial governor since 1998; he has been elected thrice, unopposed. Eighteen of the mayors in Maguindanao belong to the clan. The elder Ampatuan attributed his popularity to “popular support,” adding “Because I am so loved by the constituencies of the municipalities, they ask me to have my sons as representatives.” In the 2004 presidential elections, Arroyo won 69% of Maguindanao’s vote; three years later, the party-backed coalition scored a 12-0 sweep of the senatorial elections in the province. Unable to run for a third term, he is currently grooming his son, Andal, Jr., to succeed him as governor.

With escalating tensions in the province, Arroyo herself mediated between the Ampatuans and the Mangudadatus to prevent election-related violence. Three meetings were held in mid-2009, with one meeting hosted by then Secretary of National Defense and current party chairman Gilberto Teodoro, who is running for president. Arroyo’s adviser for political affairs Gabriel Claudio, disclosed that there was an initial agreement “in principle” that no Mangudadatu would contest Ampatuan Sr.’s gubernatorial post.

Two days before the incident, the mass grave was prepared using a backhoe owned by the Ampatuan family.

Mangudadatu invited 37 journalists to cover the scheduled filing of his certificate of candidacy (COC) at the Commission on Elections provincial office in Shariff Aguak. He said reports had reached him that his rivals had threatened to chop him into pieces once he filed his COC, and felt the presence of journalists would deter such an attack.

There were 58 people (37 journalists, 16 women designated to file the COC, and 5 drivers) in the convoy of five vehicles which left Buluan for Shariff Aguak around 9:30 a.m. on November 23.

Before reaching its destination, the convoy was stopped by 100 armed men, who abducted and later killed most or all of its members. There is evidence that some female victims were raped, tortured and beheaded.

In a text message sent by Mangudadatu’s wife to him, she identified the people that blocked their way as the men of Ampatuan Jr, and that he himself slapped her.The female victims were shot in their genitals and may have been raped, according to Secretary of Justice Agnes Devanadera. According to Mangudadatu, his wife’s “private parts were slashed four times, after which they fired a bullet into it.” In addition, he said that “They speared both of her eyes, shot both her breasts, cut off her feet, fired into her mouth.”

A backhoe located in the immediate vicinity of the carnage at Ampatuan town was identified as the instrument that was used to expediently dig the graves of the victims, including the vehicles. The perpetrators weren’t able to complete the job when a helicopter was spotted in the area. The backhoe, emblazoned with the name of Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr., was later identified to belong to the Maguindanao provincial government.

As of November 25, the death toll had risen to 57, as confirmed by Chief Superintendent Josefino Cataluna of the Philippine National Police.^[13][14][15] Reporters Without Borders announced that at least 12 of the victims were journalists, making this the deadliest such incident in the history of news media. The National Union of Journalists in the Philippines originally estimated that a total of 20 journalists were killed, including an undisclosed number of NUJP members. The Philippine Daily Inquirer later updated the number of journalists killed to 34.

On November 24, Philippine president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo responded to the news of the massacre by declaring a state of emergency in Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat and Cotabato City.Speaker of the House Prospero Nograles called on the police to quickly identify the perpetrators of the massacre and disarm private armies.Philippine Department of Justice created a panel of special prosecutors to handle cases arising from the massacre.

Aftermath

In the aftermath, Nueva Ecija Rep. Edno Joson said the massacre might affect, or even lead to the cancellation of, the scheduled 2010 presidential elections. Candidates in the election condemned the massacre.

On Thursday, November 26, 2009, Ampatuan Jr. surrendered to his brother Zaldy, was delivered to adviser to the peace process Jesus Dureza, then was flown to General Santos on his way to Manila, where he was taken to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) headquarters.Police in the Philippines charged Andal Ampatuan Jr. with murder. Ampatuan denied the charges, claiming that he was at the provincial capitol in Shariff Aguak when the massacre took place. He instead blamed the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), specifically Ombra Kato, as the mastermind, a charge the MILF dismissed as “absurd.

Mangudadatu successfully filed his certificate of candidacy at Shariff Aguak on November 27. He was accompanied by Lakas-Kampi-CMD chairman and presidential candidate Gilberto Teodoro, along with a caravan of 50 vehicles, to “ensure his safety.

Victims

Mangudadatus

Name	Description
Genalyn Tiamson-Mangudadatu	Wife of Esmael Mangudadatu.
Eden Mangudadatu	Municipal Vice Mayor of Mangudadatu, Maguindanao, sister of Esmael Mangudadatu.
Rowena Mangudadatu
Manguba Mangudadatu	Aunt of Esmael Mangudadatu.
Faridah Sabdulah
Farida Mangudadatu	Youngest sister of Esmael Mangudadatu.
Farina Mangudadatu	Another sister of Esmael Mangudadatu.
Concepcion “Connie” Brizuela, 56	Lawyer.
Cynthia Oquendo, 35	Lawyer.
Catalino Oquendo	Cynthia Oquendo’s father.
Rasul Daud	Driver of Pax Mangudadatu.

Journalists

Name	Description
Henry Araneta	DZRH
Alejandro “Bong” Reblando, 53	Manila Bulletin correspondent, a former Associated Press reporter.
Napoleon “Nap” Salaysay	DZRO manager.
Bartolome “Bart” Maravilla	Bombo Radyo Koronadal, South Cotabato.
Jhoy Dojay	Goldstar Daily.
Andy Teodoro	Mindanao Examiner & Central Mindanao Inquirer.
Ian Subang	Mindanao Focus, a General Santos-based weekly community newspaper.
Leah Dalmacio	Mindanao Focus.
Gina Dela Cruz	Mindanao Focus.]
Maritess Cablitas	Mindanao Focus.
Neneng Montano	Saksi weekly newspaper.
Victor Nuñez	UNTV.[3]
Macario “Macmac” Arriola	UNTV cameraman.[3]
Humberto Mumay	Koronadal-based journalist.[3]
Rey Merisco	Koronadal-based journalist.
Ronnie Perante	Koronadal-based journalist.
Jun Legarta	Koronadal-based journalist.
Val Cachuela	Koronadal-based journalist.
Joel Parcon	Freelance journalist.
Noel Decena	Freelance journalist.
John Caniba	Freelance journalist.
Art Belia	Freelance journalist.
Ranie Razon	Freelance journalist.
Archie Cancel	Freelance journalist.

Red Toyota Vios

Number of casualties: 5. They were supposedly mistaken as part of the convoy.

Name	Description
Eduardo Lechonsito	Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat government employee.
Cecille Lechonsito	Wife of Eduardo Lechonsito.
Mercy Palabrica	Co-worker of Eduardo Lechonsito.
Daryll delos Reyes	Co-worker of Eduardo Lechonsito.
Wilhelm Palabrica	Driver