Palace knew about Ampatuan 'chainsaw killings'
MANILA, Philippines - The Arroyo administration knew about the chainsaw killings and other alleged atrocities committed by the Ampatuan clan even before the November 23 massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao, the country's human rights chief said Thursday.
Commission on Human Rights (CHR) head Leila de Lima said the chainsaw killings were revealed in an anonymous letter signed by a group calling itself the Concerned People's Organization.
She said the letter, which revealed several alleged inhumane acts of the Ampatuans, was first received by the office of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Aug. 11, 2008.
De Lima said the letter included the story of the wife of former Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr. The letter said the Ampatuan's wife had fallen in love with a young man.
“The young man was ordered killed and shot to death before the eyes of the helpless grandfather,” she said in a radio dzMM interview.
De Lima said the Office of the President referred the letter to the Office of the Ombudsman who passed it on to the CHR, she said.
De Lima said the CHR central office immediately sent a memorandum to its regional office in Mindanao to look into the allegations in the letter, which include corrupt practices, chainsaw killings, a burying of a whole family alive and several other "acts of tyranny" of the Ampatuans.
She said the regional office tried to discreetly look for witnesses but failed. She admitted that the rights workers could not do much to confirm the allegations because they, too, were afraid of being caught by the Ampatuans.
The CHR chief earlier told reporters that the Ampatuans have been linked to at least 200 murders in Maguindanao.
"Everybody was aware (of the killings), but they have been tolerated. That is why we want full accountability now. The years of tolerance and neglect are over," she said.
She said at least five policemen and civilians have expressed willingness to stand witness to the alleged crimes of the Ampatuans. She added that the possible witnesses have also revealed that there are at least 2 more killing fields in the province.
Taking advantage of martial law
While the CHR is against President Arroyo's declaration of martial law in the province, it will take advantage of the proclamation to look for more witnesses.
“We want to take advantage of the relative peace in the area. The military forces are there and more or less the Ampatuans have been contained or neutralized,” she said.
De Lima said they would have to validate the information about the additional mass graves before excavating for more murder victims.
She also made an appeal to other residents of Maguindanao who may have knowledge of the mass graves.
“We hope that they can come to us so we can start the laying down of the ground works for the excavation of these mass graves,” she said.
De Lima said the 2 mass graves are separate from the mass grave where the 57 victims of the November 23 massacre were buried. Majority of the massacre victims were women and journalists, who were supposed to provide protection for a convoy of a rival political family.
Among those brutally killed were the wife of Buluan town Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu and his sisters.
Police said the women could have been raped and majority of them had gunshot and stab wounds in their private parts.
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Gloria PANDAK Arroyo could
Gloria PANDAK Arroyo could not even guarantee the safety of her employee (JUDGE) and his family because of Gloria's ties to the AMPATUAN clan which she professed friendly relations to these band of criminals.
there will no fair trial. convicting the AMPATUAN clan will be a death sentence to GLORIA herself because AMPATUAN senior will be singing like a canary to what really happened in previous elections in Maguindanao.
all the cheating, lying and stealing will be known for sure.
if GLORIA dies there will be no one crying in her funeral except for her corrupt family, corrupt cabals and her cabalens who she continously bribe through various projects at the expense of the whole Filipino taxpayers.
malapit nang dumating
ang karma ng mga magnanakaw na pamilyang bansot na ito. Kung galit na galit kayo kay Marcos itong c Bansot..babae pa naman... ay kasuklam-suklam!! Malapit na ang paghuhukom sa pamilya niyo kaya mag-umpisa na kayong magbalot-balot at baka dumating bigla ang bagyong paghihiganti.... sana itong mga ampatuans na ito rin ang magbulgar ng mga anomalyang ginawa nila na magdadawit sa mga Arroyo's...malapit na.... kunting tiis na lang....amin ang huling halakhak ika nga.
SILENCE OF GMA IS JUST TOO DEEP TO COMPREHEND
action speaks louder than words, unang sigaw ni gloria manalangin tayo, tama. that was few days after the massacre, her next was acover up in media na tatakbo syang congresista, tryng to divert palibhasa ang boung bayan ay di makatulog sa karahasan ng mga ampatuan, either tuta ni gma o gloria tuta ng mga ampatuans! of the same feather....mas garapal lang sa maguindanao pero sa ganang advantage ni gloria at ng kanyang gobiernong pilay. huling pagkakataon, magpakita naman kayo ng isang tamang desisyon, sa tamang panahong ito na nabuksan ang mga issues at maranming pang karumal dumal na kawanghiyaang ginawa ng mga alagad ni gma. martial law tama o mali will be proven by its fruits. action at resulta ang hinihingi ng taong bayan hindi politika at political grandstanding ng mga mambabatas natin dyan. ang totoo sobra tayo sa BATAS NA BUTAS. walang pangil upang ipatupad ang batas kaya ito butas. ang CHR, mga WITNESSES at iba pa, ngayon sila nagkaroon ng pagkakataong magsalita...may nakinig ba sa kanila ng kalasingan ng mga ampatuan ng kapangyarihan, tulad ng lahat ng makapangyarihan they never learn until the crucial moment comes...ang pinoy laging nakapiring ang mga mata, between justice and mercy, awa? presidential aprdon, good but JUSTICE, wala..juz-tiis para kay juan dela cruz... gloria macaPAGAL arroyo, pagod na ang bayan...do something right at this moment in time!
DON'T LIFT THE MARTIAL LAW
MABUTI ANG MARTIAL LAW SA MINDANAO. HANGANG NANDIYAN ANG ARMADONG PRIVATE ARMIES, MILL, MNLF, ABBUSSAYAP AT MGA TAMPALASAN MGA OFFICIALS WALANG KATAHIMIKAN ANG MINDANAO. MAGPIPYESTA NA NAMAN YAN MGA GUNGGUNG NA IYAN. KAWAWA NA NAMAN ANG BAYAN. KAILANGAN NATIN ANG KATULAD NI BAYANI FERNANDO AT HINDI KATULAD NI GORDON MABUNGANGA LANG. KAILANGAN NATING ANG ACTION MAN. HINDI PWEDE ANG MGA BINABAE DAHIL SASAYAWAN LANG ANG PROBLEMA NG MINDANAO. KAILANGAN NG PILIPINAS ANG MINDANAO. ANG KAILAGAN LANG AY VISIONARIES NA PWEDENG GAWIN ANG MINDANAO THE NEXT SINGAPORE OF ASIA.
Disturbing
This new information that CHR Chair De Lima revealed because of a witness is really disturbing. GMA supports this callous Clan and if she has any knowledge about this chansaw killing and didn't do anything, then she is also guilty of the crime. This new witness wouldn't come forward if the Ampatuans are still in power. If the court and our trusted Supreme court failed to convict the Ampatuans, then the public should try them including GMA to pay for their crims.
Media...
dan_tap,
Its bcoz wlang maglakas ng loob na kalabanin ang ampatuan at sadyang napakalakas ng ampatuan sa gov..noong election me isang teacher na lumapit sa media para sabihing me dayaang nangyari sa election sa magindanao pero nabigyan ba ng imbistigasyon ng pamahalaan??..di ba wlang nagyari??...Hetong nangyari ngayon kaya lang nabigyan ng pansin dahil narin sa nga MEDIA na nadamay..kung wlang media na nadamay baka hanggang ngayon namumuno pa rin ang ampatuan sa magindanao...
Why Now!!!
To Madam de Lima.
If CHR knew this killings way before what happened in Maguindanao, they should have brought this to the public's attention.
They should have gone to the senate, congress, news stations or the most responsible thing to do is to file charges against perpetrators of the crime.
Why wait for another heinous crime to happen, CHR just doesn't have the balls to act. All that they ever do is criticize the government move when it comes to human rights.
THE BRUTAL MASSACRE IN MAGUINDANAO
The brutal killings of 57 innocent kababayans in Maguindanao on 23rd November 2009 by the political clan of Ampatuans is unforgiveable. It is a barbaric acts without pitty. It is worts than the regime of Iraq under Saddan Hussein.
GOD will not forgive these. OFW were saddened by the Arroyo government who tolerated these killings. She should (ARROYO) be puinished too. In Jesus name: GLORIA ARROYO will be punished and porsecuted, we cursed her. Down to HELL - GLORIA ARROYO.
God is watching her. The Filipino people suffer a lot during her administration. She should be punished as well as DEVIL (Gloria)
REP. DIDAGEN DILANGALEN TUTA NG MGA AMPATUAN
Sana po huwag na siya magpagamit sa Ampatuan clan.
Hindi siya ang tunay na boses ng mga mamamayan ng probinsya ng maguindanao.
Iniisip lang niya ang kanyang sariling interest. Nakakahiya siya.
Baboy ng Palasyo para sa Martial law
Baboy ng Palasyo
Muli ko pong babasagin ang aking katahimikan dahil hindi na po matanggap ng aking kalooban at kaisipan ang karumaldumal na krimen ng mga Ampatuan sa Maguindanao. Habang tumatagal lalong lumalalim ang nahuhukay na ebidensya laban sa mga BABOY ng Palasyo, ang mga Ampatuan.
At ngayon, ayon na rin sa Commission on Human Rights (CHR) head Leila de Lima (hinahangaan ko po kayo) matagal na palang alam at kinukunsinti ni GMA ang kahayupan ng mga Ampatuan!
Pangulong Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, dapat kayong managot sa taong bayan sa paglapastangan mo sa ating batas, katarungan at konstitusyon!
Sa mga kababayan kong Pilipino, maging mapagmatyag po tayo at huwag po nating hayaang manaig at magpatuloy ang kasakiman at kasamaan ng kasalukuyang administrasyon! Di man po natin matamo ang hustisya sa ligal at tamang pamamaraan dahil nasa likod sila nito, nariyan pa po ang malawak na kalye ng EDSA kung saan pwede po uli tayong magsamasama para ipaglaban ang ating karapatan.
Martial law
My understanding of martial law is that what is not disallowed is required. Which laws are kept and which are swept away is basically up to whoever is in control. There is no telling in advance what will be proclaimed. Punishments can be harsh and can easily come without warning. It will not necessarily be looked upon favourably to be self sufficient. In the words of Porky Pig: Be vewwy vewwy cawefuw.
Martial Law can only happen and affect you if you agree to it. You have the power by God to refuse to be brought under the control of Martial Law. Anyone who imposes martial law onto you without your permission is subject to by force of law any punishment you wish to put upon that individual. Their only out is to resign their position in the Government and simply be a woman (GMA) created by God and thus being equal too you. This doesn’t mean that their actions can go without justice, God gave you the right to rule and until you say what the conditions are for their release, nothing else matters.