WHAT KIND OF ANIMALS ARE THESE KILLERS? / IDENTIFY MASSACRE
KILLERS URGED
[PHOTO
AT LEFT - Members of the National Press Club and the Alyansa ng Pilipinong
Mamamahayag stage a rally to denounce the Maguindanao massacre at Camp Aguinaldo
and Camp Crame yesterday. Boy Santos, MANILA,
Philippines]
MANILA, NOVEMBER 25, 2009 (STAR) By Katherine Adraneda - The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) expressed outrage over the Maguindanao massacre and called on Malacañang and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to deliver “swift intervention” and “expeditious justice” to the victims.
CHR chair Leila de Lima said an outbreak of “more violence and savagery” might ensue if there will be no swift intervention, considering that the Ampatuans and the Mangudadatus are powerful clans in the province.
De Lima, however, admitted that the agency’s field officers are afraid to conduct interventions given the “long-standing atmosphere” in Maguindanao.
“This is an outrage,” an apparently disturbed De Lima remarked. “Imagine, it was not enough that the victims were unarmed, but the suspects had to behead women?”
“What kind of animals are these killers?” she asked.
Citing earlier reports, De Lima said that the contingent was deliberately composed of several women “to offset the possibility of violence.”
She explained that in Mindanao, there is a belief that women are generally not subjected to violence.
“The PNP and the Executive Department must be put to task, not only to respond to the killings, but to deliver expeditious justice,” De Lima pointed out. “There are several underpinnings of power and influence in Maguindanao politics that must be overcome without any delay, and the governmental response should be decisive.”
De Lima also expressed support for calls to disarm private armies in Maguindanao, and blamed national authorities for their continued neglect of power-wielding local officials.
“The Ampatuans, and several other clans for that matter, did not amass its cache of arms and assemble massive private armies overnight. These can only be done while national authorities implicitly condone the proliferation of arms among the political elite in the distant regions of the country,” she said.
While reports indicate that at least 10 journalists were killed in the incident, De Lima appealed to the media to continue exposing the human rights crisis brewing in Maguindanao.
She described the murder of the journalists as “ignominious” since it is said to be the single largest death toll of media practitioners in one day.
“We have always maintained the importance of protecting the media. The significant role of journalists in human rights efforts is grounded in their ability to bring to public attention all human rights violations that would otherwise be veiled in secrecy, which is what perpetrators want,” De Lima said, describing murder as not just a grievous offense to the persons killed, but a defiant attack upon freedom, democracy and human rights.
Teodoro: Throw the book at them
In Lingayen, former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro urged the government to be firm and do swift action to solve the brutal massacre.
“The massacre was a barbaric act that can be done only by a lunatic person or group,” Teodoro said.
He said the world is watching how the government will show whether it is serious or not to end the problem in that area.
“This is a test case. The government should be decisive in going against this group, to arrest the perpetrators no matter who they are, whether they are political allies or not. They must be crushed because this is a heinous crime,” he said.
He said soldiers and policemen should be more visible in the area, but emphasized that the key to the problem is to “disarm all private armed groups, whether rebels or supposedly pro-government.”
Teodoro also urged the troops to spare no one and arrest all the suspects behind the carnage.
“Arrest the perpetrators whoever they may be. This goes beyond political allian-ces. Sagasaan ang dapat sagasaan (Let the chips fall where they should),” Teodoro urged the military and police, apparently referring to the group of Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., son of Maguindanao acting Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr.
The incumbent governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan, also belongs to the powerful clan.
The Ampatuans clan is a known political ally of President Arroyo.
Teodoro also called on the military and police to disarm all non-government troops and deploy enough security forces in the province.
He warned that violence may spread if the government fails to respond with an “unequivocal, direct and strong action against the perpetrators, with or without connection, whether political ally, party mate or not.”
Presidential Assistant to Mindanao Jesus Dureza, who was named as head of a crisis management committee (CMC) that will look into the security situation in Maguindanao, said President Arroyo has directed Cabinet officials and representatives from the police and the military to help the CMC address the security concerns in the province.
Dureza has recommended to the President the enforcement of a firearm collection program for Mindanao, where there are thousands of loose firearms in the hands of unauthorized persons.
“There will be bloodshed there as long as there are guns in the hands of people who are not authorized to possess guns,” he said.
Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno, on the other hand, said investigations would be completed within a couple of days and arrests made.
“There are no sacred cows,” he said during a television interview. “It is going to be a direct investigation of the crimes committed. We have some information about specific names, not just those who ordered this thing, but also those who committed it.”
“Lord of Maguindanao”
A senior security official, who asked not to be identified, agreed with Teodoro’s observation with regards to the proliferation of Ampatuan’s armed bodyguards.
He said it remains to be seen if his colleagues can carry out their mission without bias. He also blamed Malacañang for turning a blind eye on the criminal activities of the Ampatuans in exchange for political favors and for siding with the government in its fight against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
However, the source said that the Ampatuans were only fighting the MILF to protect their own interests in the province.
“Malacañang knows what the Ampatuans are doing here. The elder Ampatuan is the commander-in-chief, Armed Forces and PNP chief, rolled into one in Maguindanao. Everybody knows that,” he said.
He said that most if not all military and police commanders assigned in Central Mindanao, especially those who are based in Maguindanao, are beholden to the Ampatuans.
On several occasions in the past, principled military and police officers were sacked from their posts for their refusal to take orders from the Ampatuans.
“Ampatuan is the commander-in-chief here and not President Arroyo,” the official lamented.
Another senior military official, in an earlier interview, said he volunteered to be relieved from his post because he could not stomach taking illegal orders from the Ampatuans.
Another military officer who was formerly assigned in Central Mindanao also cited the case of a lowly lady schoolteacher who was killed inside her relative’s house where she hid after exposing the 2004 election irregularities in Maguindanao.
The teacher allegedly linked the Ampatuans to election irregularities.
The officer also dismissed reports that the mass killing could be part of a rido because it was politically motivated.
A call for sobriety
Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. welcomed with caution President’s Arroyo move to declare a state of emergency in Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat and Cotobato.
“We cannot prevent that from happening, that is her prerogative assessing the situation if there is really widespread lawlessness in a particular place, a state of emergency can be resorted,” Pimentel said, as he warned the President against possible abuse of emergency powers.
Pimentel urged the administration to replace the commanders of the Armed Forces and the police in the area to ensure impartiality in the implementation of law and order.
The Nacionalista Party led by Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. also condemned the massacre even as it supported President Arroyo’s move to declare a state of emergency.
“As a party, we condemn what has happened. We call on the national government to find the perpetrators and give justice to these victims. As of today, the government has declared a state of emergency in Maguindanao that’s not enough, there should be more teeth to the declaration,” NP spokesman Adel Tamano said.
Tamano, who has blood relations with some of the victims and the Ampatuans, said the government should take bold and decisive steps to stop the escalation of violence in the area.
Tamano comes from a Maranao family, which has intermarried into the Maguindanaon and Tausug families.
He noted that the Mangudadatus are quite popular in the area, and that they should not be underestimated.
“Even in Christian dominated areas, they win the elections. That’s why there is a need to call for sobriety. Let us not rely on press statements because I don’t want this to get worse. It’s not even election period and yet there is a massacre. If the government does not step in, it will be seen as a sign of weakness,” he said.
Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano stressed the need for the national government to act with political will on this.
“This will be the severe test of political will. It’s not a matter of whose side they are on. But it’s a matter that killing is not an option,” Cayetano said.
Vice President Noli de Castro strongly condemned the incident and stressed that the perpetrators, no matter what power or political influence they wield, be brought to justice.
Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, on the other hand, asked the Arroyo administration to go after its allies tagged in the massacre.
“The administration needs to show that this time, it will not tolerate the actions of political allies,” Binay said.
Binay also rejected the proposal to declare a state of emergency in Maguindanao.
“There is no need to impose a state of emergency. What is needed is for the administration to make sure that the full force of the law is used to go after criminals, even if they are linked to political allies,” he said.
Former President Joseph Estrada also called on authorities to run after the perpetrators as he emphasized that “under the Arroyo administration there is a “blatant disregard of the rule of law.” – With Jaime Laude, John Unson, Roel Pareño, Eva Visperas, Jose Rodel Clapano, Christina Mendez, Pia Lee Brago, AP
Authorities urged to identify perpetrators of Maguindanao massacre By Delon Porcalla (The Philippine Star) Updated November 25, 2009 12:00 AM
MANILA, Philippines - Speaker Prospero Nograles called yesterday on the police and the military to act swiftly in identifying the perpetrators of the massacre of 43 people in Maguindanao on Monday and on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to assess the situation to determine if polls should be suspended in the province.
Meanwhile, Nueva Ecija Rep. Edno Joson warned that the declaration of a state of emergency in three provinces in Mindanao could lead to no elections next year.
Nograles, who comes from Davao City, said the Comelec can postpone the election in Maguindanao until things cool down.
“Right now, the situation can be really volatile and we don’t want more killings in the area,” he said.
Nograles said the military and police must immediately disarm private armies in Mindanao.
The massacre in Maguindanao can erupt into a full-blown rido or clan war, he added.
Nograles said efforts to identify the culprits, particularly the masterminds, should be done with cold objectivity.
All partisan considerations, including political alliances, should be set aside, he added.
However, Nograles said the investigation should not be based on speculations but on solid evidence and testimonies.
“This is already beyond political alliances,” he said.
“This horrific mass murder is just beyond human comprehension. The government should use everything to apprehend and prosecute those responsible for this most atrocious incident.”
“I share the grief of the victims’ families and I pray to God that those who are responsible for this atrocity will give up voluntarily to our government security forces,” he said.
“I still cannot imagine how a man can be so brutal and cold-blooded in employing violence just to achieve one’s political end. It is really unbelievable.”
The military must beef up security in Mindanao, particularly Maguindanao, to avert the escalation of violence, Nograles said.
No-el
Joson warned yesterday that next year’s presidential elections could be canceled or that a major failure in the balloting process could affect the results of the elections.
“In both cases, it is President Arroyo who will be the beneficiary since she could prolong her stay in office,” he said.
Joson said even if the electoral exercise pushes through, a failure of election in Mindanao could result in a long delay in the proclamation of winning candidates for president and vice president.
“If the results in Mindanao could not be determined, the entire presidential election might be scrapped altogether,” he said.
These scenarios have prompted him to file a bill expanding the line of succession to the presidency to include senators other than the Senate president and justices of the Supreme Court, Joson said.
Under the Constitution, the President would be succeeded by the Vice President, Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives, in that order.
Joson’s succession bill is still pending in the House.
Joson reiterated his proposal for the Comelec to impose a total election gun ban to reduce violence.
“But the Comelec, Malacañang, the Philippine National Police, and the military should have the political will to enforce such a ban,” he said.
“They should disarm private armed groups and individuals.”
Aspirants linked to killings to be barred from running
Comelec chairman Jose Melo warned that any aspirant who might be directly or indirectly involved in the massacre would be disqualified from running for office next year.
“We may be saying this a little prematurely, but if there are political candidates or political office holders there, we will be ready to disqualify them if they are linked to the killings,” he said.
“This is an incident we condemn in the strongest terms. Imagine such a massacre, including women and media people. They were raped.”
However, Melo said the Comelec could not yet place Maguindanao under its control because the election period has not yet started.
The election period runs from Jan. 10 to June 9, 2010, he added.
Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the poll body has allowed Maguindanao aspirants facing threats to file their certificates of candidacy with the provincial election supervisor of Maguindanao.
“What we want is to remove you from areas where you feel you are threatened,” he said.
On the other hand, Comelec Commissioner Elias Yusoph, a Muslim, said Islam abhors killings and that Muslims are peaceful people.
“If they are really Muslims then they should not have done that because Islam abhors killings,” he said.
“Whoever is responsible for that, they should answer. This is a barbaric act committed by these people.”
Police placed on alert
Philippine National Police chief Director General Jesus Verzosa placed yesterday police nationwide on alert to prevent a breakout of election-related violence.
Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina, PNP spokesman, said Verzosa ordered police regional, provincial and station commanders to monitor political rivalries in their jurisdictions.
Espina said intelligence chief Director Eugene Martin is assessing and analyzing the peace and order situation nationwide.
Martin will come up with a list of electoral hotspots and areas of concern, he added.
Police are also closely monitoring the situation in Nueva Ecija, Abra, Masbate, Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, and Sulu.
Advance polls proposed
Senate Majority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. recommended yesterday to the Comelec to hold the elections in Maguindanao ahead of the May 10, 2010 elections.
“Since inevitably there will be elections in 2010, the elections in Maguindanao should be held 10 days before the date of national and local election so that all the agencies of government involved in the elections, including the maintenance of law and order, would be concentrated in Maguindanao and prevent massive, fraudulent manipulation of elections such as what was done in the last elections,” he said.
However, Pimentel said the results should not be divulged until election day. — With Jess Diaz, Sheila Crisostomo, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Christina Mendez