(UPDATE 2) Ammo found in Ampatuan Jr.'s home
MANILA - Police recovered stockpiles of ammunition from the house of Datu Unsay town Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. during a search of the Ampatuan compound in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao on Friday morning.
The raid was conducted a day after the discovery of a large arms cache from a vacant lot, at least 500 meters away from the mansion of Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan Jr.
ABS-CBN News correspondent Jorge Cariño reported over radio dzMM that police search teams have also moved to another house owned by another member of the Ampatuan family.
Police chief Director General Jesus Verzosa said announced during a press conference in Camp Crame that he received a report from the field that a 60mm mortar was recovered during the raid.
Verzosa said the policemen, aided by two battalions of heavily-armed soldiers, were armed with four search warrants issued by Judge Francis Palmones of the Kidapawan City Regional Trial Court.
He said the subjects of the search warrants were the houses of Ampatuan Jr., Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr., and a certain Akmad Ampatuan.
He said he has yet to confirm where the 60mm mortar was actually found.
Cariño reported that the search warrants alleged that police believe several high-powered firearms are stored inside the compound.
Digging resumes at vacant lot
Lt. Col. Cresente Ferrer, commander of the Philippine Army's 601st Infantry Brigade, meanwhile, told ABS-CBN's Umagang Kay Ganda (UKG) that soldiers and policemen on Friday morning resumed digging at a basketball court-sized vacant lot in Barrio 3, Shariff Aguak, near the mansion of the ARMM governor.
Ferrer said they had to halt digging on Thursday night because soldiers and policemen were already exhausted.
He said they have already unearthed 22 long high-powered firearms, 11 short firearms, and 260 small boxes of assorted ammunition.
He said the weapons so far unearthed from the vacant lot could be worth "millions of pesos."
The military official said authorities discovered the "armory" with the help of a Shariff Aguak resident, who told authorities that the arms cache were buried last November 25, two days after the massacre of 57 people in Ampatuan town.
Ferrer said they expect more firearms to be recovered from the vacant lot. He added that the digging may last until Saturday.
Among the war materials recovered from the vacant lot were:
* two 81mm mortars;
* three 60mm mortars;
* two 90mm and one 57mm recoilless rifles commonly known as bazookas;
* 4 M60 machine guns;
* caliber .50 Barrett sniper rifle;
* 200 other high-powered guns;
* 1 Ultimax light machine gun;
* 1 Bushmaster 5.56mm carbine;
* 2 Browning Automatic rifles (BARs);
* 1 FAL automatic rifle;
* 1 AK-47;
* 1 Heckler & Koch HK 11 light support machine gun;
* one 5.56mm M4 carbine;
* 9mm and caliber .45 pistols.
Gun replacement parts were also found from the vacant lot.
Ampatuan Jr. has been charged with 25 counts of murder for allegedly leading the massacre. He remains detained at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) headquarters in Manila.
Several other members of the powerful Ampatuan clan are being investigated for their possible involvement in the massacre.
Among the massacre victims were the wife and two sisters of Buluan town Vice-Mayor Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu, a candidate for the gubernatorial race in Maguindanao province.
Mangudadatu’s wife was leading a convoy bound for Shariff Aguak, where they were supposed to file a certificate of candidacy for governor on behalf of her husband.
The convoy included women and journalists. The other victims in the massacre were just passers by.
Police suspect the massacre could have been election-related due to reports that Ampatuan Jr. was also planning to run for governor.
From gov't arsenal
ABS-CBN News footage showed that ammunition boxes found at the vacant lot were marked "Government arsenal DND" and "Philippine National Police Camp Crame, Quezon City, Philippines."
Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner, military spokesman, said Armed Forces chief Victor Ibrado has ordered an investigation to determine how the military's ammunition found their way into the vacant lot.
Ferrer, meanwhile, said the ammunition boxes found have markings of Armscor, meaning it came from the Government Arsenal in Bataan. He said some of the boxes even indicate the date of manufacture, June 2009.
Armscor supplies ammunition to the military, police, and also civilians, but only upon authorization of the government.
He said military and police uniforms were also found at the excavation site.
Ferrer, however, declined to connect the Ampatuans to the buried arms cache.
He said it would be up to the police to file a case based on the evidence found by investigators.
He said he could not confirm if the firearms were used in the Ampatuan massacre.
“I don’t know. We have the mortars and I don’t believe the mortars were used. May mga bala rin dito, different calibers, puwedeng nagamit noon o ibinaon para sa ganoon magamit pa ng mga goons ng mga private armies,” said Ferrer.
However, he said everyone knows who has the capacity and influence to buy such a large amount of firearms and ammunition.
“We will find out. Wala pa kaming personality. Pero obvious naman eh,” said Ferrer.
Ferrer also expressed his thanks to the civilian who tipped them off. He said the informant is helping achieve peace in Maguindanao. -- Reports from Jorge Cariño, ABS-CBN News, Lerio Bompat, ABS-CBN Cotabato and ANC



AMPATUAN CLAN
Yoh yoh! mga AMPATUAN! talagang napakalupit ninyo! Buti nalang at nahuli na kayo pero sana nga lang ay makulong na kayung lahat at hindi na makakawala pa. PAti dito sa Davao City naghahari-harian kayo kala nyo kayo ang may ari sa lugar namin. Dapat paalisin sa Davao City ang mga lokong yan at gibain ang malalaki nilang bahay. Mayor Duterte, malaki ang tiwala namin sa inyu sana hindi na maka punta dito sa Davao ang mga Ampatuan. Baka sa susunod na Election dito nanaman sila tatakbo at sasakupin na nila ang buong Mindanao. Sa Ateneo de Davao Grades School tumatambay ang maraming tauhan ni Ampatuan, parang kung sinong may ari ng lugar nagagalit pag may naka harang sa dinadaanan nila at lahat ng service nila dito puno ng baril at mga granades parang pupunta ng giyera.
Gibo at Arroyo, mali ang mga plano ninyu. Pumalpak kayo sa pagkakataong ito. Tama talaga ang Magdalo, mga Generals ang gumagago sa ating lipunan lalong-lalo kana Gloria Labandera!
Let the world know what's happening in the name of Islam
Applause for the president for making her position regarding this national issue that already involved the whole world. It aroused the public awareness about the status of politics in Southern Philippines. It was a good decision of implementing this executive order for the benefits of innocent ones. I am not pro-administration but so far this was the first undertaking that Gloria administration made that somehow elevated my admiration to her at least a bit throughout her stay as president. And making stand behind the decision is fully appreciated.
This early evening I watched the latter part of Ted Failon's TV program Failon Ngayon guesting Robin Padilla on the show. He said on his message that let the region itself solve its own problem by making the region as separate state from the entire archipelago. To my understanding, he was saying that this civil war-zone region has its own capability of resolving different interest and conflicts between different organizations and its members. His own recommendation was just a result of stupidity of a certain Robin Padilla.
Mindanao as a separate state
How can a region solve its own problem when the people who are supposed to make the resolution are the ones being suspected who caused the violence? Had this claim of Mr. Padilla done previously or way many years back, we would not shock more than 57 people should have suffered and been killed or the worse hadn't shown up permanently. Mr. Padilla knows the fact that this region is totally submerged to dirty political ambition of Ampatuans who have made every part, if not most of them, named after their family members. What? Do you own Maguindanao? If government has allowed the separation of Mindanao from the Philippine archipelago, more likely this state will be as worse as Islam country Iraq.
Christianity vs. Islam
Comparing to Christians, Moslems have more strict norms when it comes to maintainig discipline among themselves. I received an email before showing a young boy being punished by state authority for stealing a bun. You'll be shocked as I was when I learned that the punishment for stealing a piece of bun was crushing his arm by a car running over his arm. Upon checking the pictures, it wasn't an ordinary car that we see along Edsa but it was a utility truck type owner that you can feel upon looking at it how heavy it was. It's right that no religion can ever justify such hideous crime but wondering why do they have such heavy punishment regardless the gravity of the crime. Why is that? Because they know for a fact that they are extremely violent, barbaric, monstrous for the sake of their religion, terrorist, cruel in the name of their beliefs. In order for the governing body to regulate this attitude, they need to implement heavy and drastic in form rules and regulation of their states. This only shows the world what's happening in the name of Islam.
Questioning Martial Law
After Ted Failon show, I was also able to watch news over TV patrol Sabado. Headline featured anti-arroyo questioning Martial Law. I watched the whole interview of Harry Roque, UP law professor. He sounded like he's intimidated by this Maguindanao Martial Law proclamation. He said it might be the start of declaring another martial law covering the entire nation. This statement is premature to publicize. You may critic the government for doing such undertaking however not a proper decorum nor a proper statement to tell the public what is the probability to happen in the future.
Here comes FVR for his overreaction statement. He said there's no need to declare region under military control since law enforcement agencies under control. He even compared the situation when Gloria declared National State of Emergency everytime there was Coup attempt. Mr. former President, maybe you are not aware of what really happened and how these victims were being killed in repugnant manner. Mr. president check this link so that you educate yourself about the reason why there was a need to impose such action
http://www.digital-dreamspace.com/2009/11/ampatuan-massacre-in-maguindan...
I even saw the picture over the internet of the victims who were murdered beastly at its highest way when my friend sent this link through my outlook email. I just saw one picture of it then suddenly closed it. I can't take a look at it.
tama trillanes
nagbebenta ng armas ang mga nasa afp para sa mga enemy of the state!
DND
Pera ng taungbayan ang pumatay sa biktima ng masaker dahil sa kapabayaan ng mga Pulis at Sundalo sa Maguindanao at higit sa lahat ang defense chief dati na si Gibo at ang kanyang amo na si PANDAK (GMA). Maghugas man kayo ng kamay mga pulis, militar, Gibo, Puno, Pandak ay hindi niyo na mababago ang nangyari at kayo ang responsable sa karumal dumal na krimen na ito at siyempre ang mga Ampatuan's at iba pang mga Warlords na inaarmasan ninyo at naghihintay na din ang krimen sa kanilang mga teritoryo dahil sa nalalapit na election. Gibo, huwag kang naive dahil alam mo na hindi ka mananalo at dinamay mo pa si Edu, pero si Edu ay isang tanga dahil nagpadala naman.
Magdalo
Mukhang totoo sinasabi ng mga Magdalo. Hmmmmm.
truth...
sabi na nga ba... mga GENERAL ay talagang general problem. at ang mga MAJOR... major problem...(di naman lahat.. sorry sa mga mababait, alam nya naman sino kayo kaya wala kayong ikakagalit)... BUSINESSMEN talaga ang mga yan. at ang pinaka magaling nga NEGOSYANTE ay si TABA ARROYO at ang mga midnight cabinet members ni PANDAK. at gino-groom na nila ang panganay nilang BOBO... remember ang mga milyon-milyong GIFTS na nagpapayaman sa kanya... PERA, PERA, PERA PERA PERA, PERA... talagang yan ang EVIL. kaya kapit sa patalim ang mga galamay kase merong nakabalot lagi galing sa palasyo... sana pag-usapan uli ng maayos yong reklamo ng MAGDALO tungkol sa kakurakutan ng mga general kasama si MADAM. tingnan mo nga naman, nakabaon pala yong mga uniforms at mga armas dun sa maguindanao kaya walang magamit ang mga legitimate arm forces. kaya magtataka ka kung bakit nakakatakas ang mga salbahing rebelde kahit napaligiran na at kung bakit na-aambus ang mga sundalo lagi... meron na palang nakakapindot sa mga baboy na yan... tama nga sila general danilo lim at mga kasama nya sa magdalo.
There's no other appropriate
There's no other appropriate punishment to this savage clan than their death.
HOY GISING
Ano ba kayong mga Pinoy, talaga bang hindi na kayo gigising para patalsakin na si Gloria at mga Ampatuan. Kitang-kita na ang mga ebidensiya ay nabigyan pa ng writ of amparo iyang mga Ampatuan para makagalaw ng malaya diyan sa Maguindanao. Maya-maya lang ay hindi nyo na makikita ang mga Ampatuan dahil magtatago na ang mga iyan. Sino ba ang mga Judges na nagbigay niyang writ of Amparo na iyan sa mga Ampatuan?
Ang ebidensiya ay malinaw-na-malinaw ,na ang mga Ampatuan ang gumawa ng karumal-dumal na krimen na iyan. Iyang si Devanera ay walang gagawing tama dahil si Gloria Arroyo mismo ang nagmamaneobra niyang kaso na iyan para matakpan ang mga ginawa ni Gloria na pandaraya noong eleksiyon 2004 na ang mga nagsagawa ay ang mga Ampatuan.
Gising na kayo mga Pilipino kung hindi walang mababago sa Pilipinas at habang panahon na kayong nasa ilalim ng kapangyarihan ni Gloria Arroyo. Kaya kumilos na kayo habang may natitira pang kaunting pagkakataon bago maging Prime Minister si Gloria Arroyo. Kapag nagyari iyon ay talagang huli na ang lahat at wala ng lunas kung hindi magkaroon ng civil war diyan sa Pilipinas dahil sa walang katapusang abuso ni Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
Goons, Guns and Gold
The proverbial 3G's of politics are now surfacing for the Ampatuans... by the way, inside the house of Andal Sr., there's a tunnel where they keep more guns. Now, the GOLD... freeze their assests (Bank accounts, etc..)
Ampatuan Arms from AFP & PNP?
Mga armas ng Ampatuan na may government ownership marks? Sabagay, sa dami ng mga corrupt general sa AFP at PNP di kataka-taka yun. Galing din sa tax natin ang pinagyayabang, pinapanakot at pinampapatay ng demonyong angkan sa Maguindanao.