Filipino press group launches fund drive for Maguindanao journalists

Responding to the murder of more than 30 news media people in a massacre in Maguindanao southern Philippines, members of The Filipino Press Group of Sydney launched an appeal today for funds to help relieve some of the pain now experienced by victims’ families.

Funds raised will be delivered to the families through the National Press Club of the Philippines (NPCP), according to Bayanihan News editor-publisher Domingo ‘Nonoy’ Perdon.

Newspaper columnist Neria Soliman said the group would seek further contributions from affiliate organisations of the Philippine Community Council of NSW.

”At least one reporter who died in the massacre had a family of wife and five children,” said NewsPinoy editor Titus Filio, who had lived in the Maguindanao area in his youth. ”News media people do not earn much, so their families must be really suffering.”

His sentiments were echoed by Mr Perdon, who had proposed the appeal as a grave emergency measure, Ms Soliman, Philippine Sentinel editor Dino Crescini, TheFilipinoAustralian web publisher Romy Cayabyab, and Radio Sandigan producer Jaime Pimentel at a special meeting in Rooty Hill this morning, Saturday, November 28.

Donations will be accepted by the Group’s spokesman Jaime Pimentel over the next two weeks, starting Monday, November 30, 2009. Mr Pimentel will open a trust account in the Burwood branch of ANZ Banking for the sole purpose of collecting the donations. Mr Perdon, who has direct connections with officials of the NPCP, will arrange for delivery of funds.

For further details, ring (02) 9744 9966 after hours or (02)9588 8730 work hours.

Arroyo vows justice for massacred journalists in Maguindanao

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Thursday pledged justice before the grieving families of journalists who were killed in Maguindanao as she visited their wake in General Santos city.

"I am attending the wake of some of the victims of the Maguindanao massacre as a modest expression of the nation's outrage and my personal grief and shock on the acts that befell these men and women. What happened continues to shock me. This is a black mark to our nation," Mrs. Arroyo said.

"I am really very grieved because I have fought everyday in office to bring peace in this island (Mindanao) and I will continue to do so until the last minute of my term," she added.

At the same time, Mrs. Arroyo also pledged to provide the families with jobs and educational and financial assistance.

Sandra Aguinaldo of GMA News said Mrs. Arroyo even offered to become the godmother of the newly-born child of Marc Ariola, the cameraman of UNTV who was among the 31 journalists killed in the massacre.

Mrs. Arroyo first visited the wake of six journalists in Collado Funeral Parlor along Pendatun and Laurel North Streets. After which, she proceeded to the UNTV Broadcast Center to sympathize with the families of four other journalists.

She was accompanied by Interior and Local Governments Secretary Ronaldo Puno and Secretary for Mindanao Affairs Jesus Dureza.

The relatives of the journalists, for their part, became emotional.


"Justice talaga kailangan at saka education ng mga apo ko kasi hindi ko kaya (What we really need is justice, and also education for my grandchildren because I can't afford it)," said Nancy dela Cruz, the mother of Gina dela Cruz of Today who orphaned a seven-month old baby.

For her part, Merly Perante, the widow of slain Gold Star Daily staffer Ronnie Perante, called on the witnesses to surface to shed light on the killings.

"Sana makonsensya naman sila, sana hindi patulugin ng konsensya para mag-witness sa nangyari para mabigyan hustiya lahat ng biktima (I hope they get conscience-stricken, I hope their conscience makes them sleepless until they turn witness so that justice is given to all the victims)," said Merly, who is seven months pregnant. - Aie Balagtas See/JV, GMANews.TV

Army battalions surround capitol, Ampatuan mansions

Hundreds of additional troops have been sent to Maguindanao province to protect the Ampatuan clan from "possible retaliation" in connection with last week's massacre of 57 people, which is being blamed on the powerful Arroyo-allied family.

The augmentation force, numbering around 400, would provide security to the provincial capitol and the Ampatuans' residences in Shariff Aguak town, according to Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr., chief of the Armed Forces' public information office.

"This is to maintain the peace and order situation and prevent retaliation from the victims’ family. At the same time, they (soldiers) were sent to prevent other groups from taking advantage of the situation," Brawner said.

At present, there are four infantry battalions and two mechanized units in Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat and Cotabato city - the three areas placed under state of emergency after the massacre.

Normally there are only two battalions deployed in the area, Brawner said, with each battalion composed of 400 to 500 soldiers.


Threat

Brawner said the troops would provide security to two of the Ampatuans' "main houses" in Shariff Aguak, one of which is in front of the capitol.

"One of the purposes why we deployed troops right at the residences of the Ampatuans is to prevent authorized people from getting into the compound. People with bad intentions may slip inside by posing as supporters," he said.

Outdoor trips of the Ampatuan family members have also been limited, according to Brawner.

"We are also controlling their movement out of their residence because there are threats to their lives. They cannot just go out of their residence and go elsewhere because of (the) specific threats to their lives," he said.

He noted the possibility that supporters of the Ampatuans' rival clan, the Mangudadatus, may avenge the grisly deaths of several Mangudadatu family members in the massacre.

Aside from members of the Mangudadatu family, 31 journalists and several unsuspecting motorists were also killed in the mass killing that has received worldwide indignation, including from the United Nations and the European Union.

The victims were on their way to Shariff Aguak to file the candidacy documents of Buluan Vice Mayor Ismael "Toto" Mangudadatu when waylaid by dozens of armed men allegedly upon orders from Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., who is now detained in Manila his arrest Thursday last week.

Brawner said they are also protecting the Ampatuans against Moro rebels.

Backup force

Brawner said the troops were also deployed to assist the Philippine National Police (PNP) in serving arrest warrants, suspension orders and help maintain the peace and order situation. [See: AFP all set to serve warrants, other orders vs Ampatuans]

There is no timeline up to when the military would stay in the province, Brawner said, adding the troops would stay there “as long as they are needed."

On Wednesday, the PNP have recommended the filing of charges against Ampatuan Jr. and five other members of the Ampatuan clan, including its patriarch Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr., the incumbent governor of Maguindanao.

The recommendation against Andal Jr. was on top the 25 murder charges the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed against him in Cotobato city on Tuesday. He is now under the custody of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) after witnesses claimed that he was present at the massacre site during the killing.

The Ampatuans, for their part, have repeatedly denied involvement in the killing. - KBK, GMANews.TV

Massacre suspect’s home in Maguindanao raided

Massacre suspect’s home in Maguindanao raided


INQUIRER.net
First Posted 08:03:00 12/04/2009

Filed Under: Maguindanao Massacre, Election Violence, raid, Police, Firearms, Military

MANILA, Philippines – Combined elements of the military and police raided the house of a local official from a powerful clan in Maguindanao and who has been tagged as the prime suspect in the massacre in the province late November, according to a television report.

The raid was conducted at the home of Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., who is currently in the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) following his arrest for the murders of at least 57 people in Maguindanao on November 23, the report on GMA Network’s “Unang Hirit” morning program said Friday.

The report said a search warrant was served by members of the Philippine National Police to the caretakers on suspicion that high-powered firearms were hidden in Ampatuan Jr.’s home, which was described as being slightly smaller than the other mansions belonging to the rest of the clan.

In a live interview, Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Ponce, spokesman of the 6th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, said they were there to provide technical support for the PNP.

The raid happened a day after several ammunition and military uniforms that could have been used in the killings were discovered in Poblacion Tres, Shariff Aguak, at around 2:30 p.m., according to PNP Director General Jesus Verzosa.

Verzosa said authorities received a tip from residents in the area that ammunition and military uniforms were “dumped and concealed” there.

DNA tests to prove rape on women-victims of Maguindanao massacre

DNA tests to prove rape on women-victims of Maguindanao massacre
by admin on December 2nd, 2009 // Filed Under » Zamboanga Times

Initial autopsy examinations on the female victims of the Nov. 23 Maguindanao massacre have remained inconclusive of rape, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said on Sunday.
The autopsy examinations also showed that some of the 57 massacre victims were shot at close range.NBI regional director Ricardo Diaz said that there was a need for a DNA test on the female victims to determine they were indeed raped.Diaz, also chief of Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) and concurrent spokesman for Maguindanao massacre, said the NBI medical team examined 20 bodies while the Philippine National Police (PNP) took the rest of the victims.He said six of the victims were shot at close range and there were slugs found at the crime scene.The autopsy also aimed to determine if the female-victims of Nov. 23 massacre were indeed raped, he said.He said the initial test conducted on the female victims were inconclusive.About 20 bodies were processed by NBI medical team. The Mangudadatu women were also processed by NBI and six of the 20 were shot at close range, he said.He also said that some of the female-victims had lacerations in their hymen.Meanwhile, the NBI and the PNP continued to study the present behavior of Andal Ampatuan Jr, the prime suspect in the Maguindanao massacre.Diaz said Ampatuan Jr. seemed restless and had a hard time sleeping because probably he was afraid of ghosts. Ampatuan preferred to sleep outside his detention and stayed most of the time near the visitors area, he said.He slept on the bench just near the visitors area. He was afraid of ghosts. He slept on the bench and he wrapped himself with a comforter. There is an electric fan near him because he feel hot, said Diaz.The NBI jail is heavily secured and barb wires separate the jail from visitors area.He has a lawyer working 24 hours by shift. But the lawyers are only staying at the visitors area, Diaz said.Diaz also said Ampatuan had rejected food sent to him from those claiming to be his relatives. May food which supposedly come from an uncle whom he did not know. He dont eat that. It his right and he said there is threat against his life, Diaz said.Based on the result of the drug test conducted on Ampatuan on Friday showed that no trace of drugs was found. However, the NBI said it does not mean that Ampatuan did not take drugs as traces usually lost after 40 hours from the time of the consumption of such.However, urine test (Benzodiazepine) found traces of Rivotril and the NBI said Ampatuan admitted that he was taking Rivotril, a sleeping pill.

Via Zamboanga Times



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The Massacre in Maguindanao in the Philippines

The Massacre in Maguindanao in the Philippines
By Maria A. Ressa
Head, ABS-CBN News & Current Affairs
Former CNN Jakarta Bureau Chief

You can’t escape the laws of physics. Newton’s third law of motion states: “for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” In the world of governments and their security forces, it’s called blowback – a term first coined by the US Central Intelligence Agency in classified documents to describe US and British covert operations in Iran in 1953. They helped overthrow the government of Mohammed Mossadegh, setting in motion a chain of events which inspired the revival of Islamic fundamentalism around the world.

Blowback happened again in Afghanistan in the late 80’s when the US funneled more than $3 billion, through Pakistan’s intelligence service, ISI, to build up the Afghan resistance against the Soviets. That sowed the seeds for 9/11 and the major terrorist attacks in Southeast Asia from 2001 to 2009. Among the key beneficiaries was Abdul Rasul Sayyaf, who helped train Osama bin Laden and thousands of Southeast Asian militants including the founder of the Abu Sayyaf in the Philippines, some of the Bali and JW Marriott bombers.

Blowback happened in Maguindanao in the southern Philippines – where warlords with private armies funded by the state wield political power.

It’s a complex situation: the power structure of government is a thin overlay on top of a complex social hierarchy based on families or clans. These clans periodically clash – feuds known as rido, which can be ignited by the flimsiest of reasons – a quarrel over women or a verbal slight. Clans became the foundation of electoral politics and determined the distribution of power and resources.

Add the fight against Muslim insurgents, first the MNLF or Moro National Liberation Front. Now it’s the Moro Islamic Liberation Front of MILF, which provided training and sanctuary to numerous Islamic militants, including members of Jemaah Islamiyah, Al-Qaeda’s arm in Southeast Asia.

The Ampatuan family’s rise to power began in the Marcos era, when it closely allied with the military to fight the Moro National Liberation Front or MNLF. When the MNLF signed a peace agreement with the government in 1996, the enemy changed to the MILF, now the largest Muslim insurgency in the country.

In the late 1990’s, Andal Ampatuan, Sr., avowedly anti-MILF, was handpicked by the military to run as governor against a rival who was supportive of the MILF. Ampatuan won in 2001 in an election that was largely seen to have been manipulated by the military. He was described as a “military-sponsored warlord.”

He gained even greater power after he helped Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo win the 2004 presidential elections. She won by such a large margin in his areas of influence, including all the votes in three Maguindanao towns, that her victory became suspicious.

In exchange, the Ampatuan family asked for money, guns and power. In July 2006, President Arroyo overturned a clause in the Philippine Constitution that banned private armies. She issued Executive Order 546 giving local officials and the Philippine National Police or PNP the power to create “force multipliers” in the fight against the MILF. In reality, the Ampatuans converted their private armies to the legal and more elegant euphemism – CVO’s or civilian volunteer organizations.

The military has its own term for members of this private army: Civilian Armed Force Geographical Units or cafgus. These are men who are paid by the local government and trained by the military – all deployed under the command of Ampatuan. Unofficial estimates of the men under Ampatuan’s command reach 800, including cvo’s and cafgus.

Reports of violence, abuses of power, and murder increased through the years, but little was done. People were too afraid to speak. Shortly before the 2001 elections, one of his political rivals was murdered inside a restaurant. Ampatuan was the primary suspect and was even charged, but nothing happened. In another instance, police said the nephew of a rival was killed with a chainsaw. The body was never found. Another rival was burned alive. In every instance, suspicion fell on Ampatuan, who created and exploited a culture of impunity.

This is the story of how the government and its security forces used the Ampatuans and their private armies to fight a proxy war against the MILF, and how it all horrendously backfired. After the main suspect, Andal Ampatuan, Jr., was brought to a Manila jail cell, he protested his innocence. "I didn't do it," he said, "it was the MILF."

Blowback. In biblical terms: “we reap what we sow.”





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Maguindanao Massacre Photos

WE CONDEMN MAGUINDANAO MASSACRE!!!