Police name Ampatuan Jr. as top suspect in massacre

Posted at 11/25/2009 11:12 AM | Updated as of 11/25/2009 5:06 PM

MANILA - Police on Wednesday named a political ally of President Gloria Arroyo as the prime suspect in an election-linked massacre of at least 50 people.

"According to the initial reports, those who were abducted and murdered at Saniag were initially stopped by a group led by the mayor of Datu Unsay," national police spokesman Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina said.

The mayor of Datu Unsay is Andal Ampatuan Jr., a member of Arroyo's ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD coalition and son of an extremely powerful regional politician who has ensured local support for the president in previous elections.

The military had previously named bodyguards hired by the Ampatuan clan as the suspected gunmen in Monday's massacre in which relatives and aides of a rival politician, plus a group of journalists, were abducted and shot dead.

However, the police spokesman's comments were the first time Ampatuan Jr has been specifically named as a top suspect in the massacre, which took place in a village on the outskirts of a town that bears the clan's name.

Espina, however, did not say if police are already readying charges against the local official.

The Ampatuan son was being groomed to succeed his father, the three-term governor of Maguindanao province on Mindanao island.

The massacre victims included the wife and relatives of rival Maguindanao politician Buluan town vice-mayor Ismael Mangudadatu.

The victims were abducted as they were travelling in a six-vehicle convoy to nominate Mangudadatu as the opposition candidate for governor in next year's elections.


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76 comments

HELLOW PEOPLE

sana poh wag muna husgahan ung ibang police na suspect sa maguindanao massacre..kc ang iba djan na police poh ay walang kasalanan sa naganap na massacre sa mindanao.....


MAGUINDANAO KILLING FIELD

5

There was no arrest made yet on this gruesome killings because the police and military investigators do not know where to begin and they are also fearful of reprisals by the Ampatuan clan.

The DOJ lawyers are also afraid to come down and ask questions of the Ampatuans because they will be on their hit list.

The corrupt Arroyo government MUST invite US Federal Bureau of Investigation or Britain MI5 to conduct proper and impartial investigation otherwise these killings will turn to a white wash.

I do not know why Unsay is not being arrested yet. Several witnesses pointed to him being present when the massacre happened. Stop treating Ampatuan clan with kid gloves. Arrest Unsay or shoot to kill if he fails to voluntarily surrender to the proper authorities.

smiley

PHILIPPINES- LACK OF LEADERSHIP AND LAWLESS

Philippines has been a corrupted country since Manuel L.Quezon up to present.Because of lack of sincerity,the succeeding presidents didn't take any actions to sequester all the corrupted money and properties.Not one of these candidates like,Villar,Noynoy,Gibo,Escudero,or Estrada can take actions.Bayani Fernando,who is implementing the laws,even though it will hurt him in his political campaign.He is more action than promise.Bayani Fernando is the man of "ACTION IS LOUDER THAN VOICE".He will lose,because he is not famous and trapo.

Philippines needs to revamp all the leaders of AFP.Lack of security and leaderships are from the military and politician leader.
AFP-Arm Forces of the Philippines,to protect the constitution.
PMA-Philippine Military Academy,military and police officers are graduated here
AWOL-Absent Without Leave,military and police officer disobeyed the constitution.
PDOM-Political Drama of Officers in the Military
WEAPONS- are all from AFP
REBEL MUSLIMS- weapons from AFP
NPA- weapons from AFP
KIDNAPER- weapons from AFP
POLITICIAN- supported by AFP
POLITICIAN SUPPORTER0 -supported by corrupted politician
MILITARY OFFICER- supported by higher politician
POLICE OFFICER- supported by higher politician
Who's going to catch the criminals like killer,kidnaper,robbery,abusive of human rights and corrupted politician and businessmen? The patrolman or small rank policemen,who is getting order to their superior officer.


Police named suspect

May suspect na pala ang mga police eh bakit wala pang inaaresto? Bakit itong spokesman ng PNP na General Espina daw (inuto lang siguro ang mga superiors niya para maging General) ay hindi alam ang mga pinagsasabi o pinapaikot lang talaga si Ted Failon kagabi at kahit obvious na galit na si Ted sa mga sagot niya ay pilit na pinapaikot pa din si Ted, at ang buong taong bayan na nakikinig kagabi, kasama na ako. Tumaas ang BP ko sa iyo Espina pero hindi kita bibigyan ng kaligayahan na matuwa dahil controlled ang BP ko gaya din ng pag kontrol sa iyo ng mga amo diyan sa malakanyang.

Andoy

speaking of Sen. Loren

grabe ang credibility ng tao na to, kaya kahit imposible pinipilit
pa rin ng mga kalaban i-link sa kanya bawat negative issues na lumalabas...ilan taon na syang pinagkakatiwalaan ng mga tao ng dahil sa pagiging isang magaling na pulitiko... kaya ganun na lang ang takot ng mga kalaban.

wag kang mag-alala Sen. Loren Legarda dahil lagi kaming sumusuporta sa'yo!!!


to nicole

i strongly agree to that.. Loren is working Senator not a talking Senator!Sya ang tipo na hindi mahilig sa publicity but that doesn't mean that she's involve.


hindi nananahimik si Loren!

hinihiling ko sa pamahalaan na ipatupad na ang sapat na “measures’ para tiyakin ang matapat, maayos at matiwasay na halalan sa Maguindanao at sa ibang mga lugar kung saan may mga matinding labanan sa pulitika na posibleng mauwi sa karahasan at sa pag danak ng dugo. Ang panukalang ipatupad na ang total total gun ban sa panahon ng kampanyahan ay nararapat lamang upang mabawasan mga karahasang may kaugnayan sa halalan sa susunod na mga buwan.

pahayag ni Sen. Loren Legarda tungkol sa maguindanao massacre...
Paano nyo nasabing nananahimik gayung sya nga ang nananawagan para sa
katarungan?


BACKHOE on the criime scene..

tama ba yong narinig kong balita na ang backhoe na nakita sa crimie scene ay pag-aari ng provincial govt? then if it is what's the point of argument? what is it doing there in that case? a lot of explanation mr. dureza este ampatuan.


Police name Ampatuan Jr. as top suspect in massacre

To erase doubts and to prove initially that Ampatuans are innocent as suspected, they should subject themselves to investigation. Timing is of the essence here.

This also have been done in the case of Pacquiao-Ranillo affair. Why wait to respond to allegations if it is not true?

ushldtellme

The world is watching

How can a representative of the government be such animal, Andal Ampatuan, Jr is not only a coward but murderer, it's beyond the understanding of any right-minded person how can the government meet face to face with such a criminal, the only meeting that should be taking place is the one where they are dragging this animal from his house and taking him to Manila where justice can be served.
Then again, as long as Arroyo is president, justice will be hard to come by, but for the sake of the Philippines, I hope someone comes to their right mind and punish this animal and the rest of his clan of criminals.
The whole world is watching, waiting to see what will this so-called democratic government will do to bring justice to the victims.



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