By Carolyn O. Arguillas Mindanews

DAVAO CITY: Only two of the 12 prominent Ampatuans implicated in the November 23, 2009 massacre in Maguindanao are not running for any posts in this year’s elections: Mayor Datu Andal “Unsay” Ampatuan Jr. of Datu Unsay and Gov. Datu Zaldy Ampatuan of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Just as well, their wives and a daughter are running, records of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) show.

Of the 12 Ampatuan clan members tagged as perpetrators or conspirators in the massacre of at least 58 persons (32 of them from the media), six are in government custody and six others are yet to be arrested. Reports have put the number of victims at 57, including 30 journalists.

Detained at the National Bureau of Investigation in Manila is Ampatuan Jr.; father Datu Andal Ampatuan Sr. is confined in a military hospital in Davao City; and brothers Zaldy, Anwar and Sajid and brother-in-law Akmad “Tato” Ampatuan Sr. are detained at the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in General Santos City.

At present, only Ampatuan Jr. is detained for multiple murder.

On Tuesday, however, multiple-murder charges were also filed by the Department of Justice against clan patriarch Ampatuan Sr. and his two other sons and 192 others. (See related front-page story)

Ampatuan Sr. and the clan members in General Santos City are detained for rebellion.

Ampatuan Jr.’s dream of becoming governor of Maguindanao ended on November 23 but his wife, Reshal Santiago, is running for mayor of Datu Unsay.

Ampatuan Sr., then officer in charge (OIC) governor of Maguindanao, is running for vice governor of Maguindanao against three opponents, including his daughter, Shaydee Ampatuan Abutazil.

Zaldy’s wife, Bai Johaira or Bongbong Midtimbang, is running for mayor of Datu Hoffer town, while eldest daughter Bai Norailla Kristina, is running for councilor. Both mother and daughter are assured of victory. They are running unopposed.

Anwar Sr., then mayor of Shariff Aguak, is running for vice mayor, while wife Zahara Upam is running for mayor. Three of their children are running for councilor of Shariff Aguak: Anhara, Anwar Jr. (also known as Datu Ipi) and Rowella. Another child, Manny Upam Ampatuan, is running for councilor of Datu Saudi Ampatuan.

Sajid, officer in charge governor from January to shortly before the massacre when Ampatuan Sr. took over, is running for provincial board member; his wife Zandria is running for mayor of Shariff Saydona Mustapha.

Akmad “Tato” Masukat Ampatuan Sr., then OIC vice governor, is running for vice mayor of Mamasapano against his daughter Lady Sha-honey. Son Bahnarin is running for mayor against another son, Benzar.

The six others implicated in the massacre—grandsons Saudi Jr., Bahnarin and Datu Anwar “Ipi” Ampatuan Jr. and Kanor Datumanong Ampatuan, Datu Mama Ampatuan and Datu Norodin Ampatuan are yet to be arrested.

All six are also running for top posts: Saudi Jr. is seeking reelection as mayor of Datu Saudi Ampatuan town; Bahnarin is running for mayor of Mamasapano; Ipi is running for councilor of Shariff Aguak; Kanor is running for vice mayor of Datu Salibo; Datu Mama is running for councilor of Datu Salibo and Datu Norodin Datumanong Ampatuan, is running for councilor of Shariff Aguak.

Saudi’s brother, Saudi 3rd, is running for vice mayor of Datu Saudi Ampatuan, while Saudi’s wife Jehan-jehan Lepail is running for councilor. Saudi’s mother, Soraida, is running for vice mayor in Parang.

Earlier, only nine Ampatuans were implicated in the massacre. Ampatuan Jr. was charged with multiple murder on December 1 while the other clan members have not gone through preliminary investigation: Ampatuan Sr., Nords Ampatuan, Akmad Ampatuan, Saudi Ampatuan Jr., Bahnarin Ampatuan, Sajid Islam Uy Ampatuan, Akmad “Tato” Ampatuan Sr. and Datu Zaldy “Puti” Ampatuan.

On Tuesday, however, an amended complaint was filed before the Branch 221 of the Regional Trial Court in Quezon City under Judge Josephine Reyes Solis, implicating 19 other Ampatuans. This brought the total number of Ampatuans implicated in the massacre to 28, but only 12 are prominent clan members. The name of Akmad Ampatuan, OIC mayor of Datu Salibo town, has been dropped from the list of respondents.

A panel of investigating prosecutors in a joint resolution dated February 5 said that 11 Ampatuans were among those “positively identified by witnesses” to have participated in the carnage: Ampatuan Jr., Datu Kanor Ampatuan, Datu Bahnarin Ampatuan, Datu Mama Ampatuan, Datu Sajid Islam Ampatuan, Datu Anwar Ampatuan, Datu Saudi Ampatuan Jr., Datu Ulo Ampatuan, Datu Ipi Ampatuan, Datu Harris Ampatuan and Datu Moning Ampatuan. Also implicated in the mass murder were Mogira Hadji Anggulat, Parido Zangkala Gogo, Jun Pendatun, Kagi Faizal and Sukarno Badal.

But the panel added, “The confluence of events before and immediately after the commission of the offense leads us to no other inference than that respondents Andal Ampatuan Sr., Datu Zaldy “Puti” Ampatuan, Datu Akmad “Tato” Ampatuan Sr., Datu Norodin Ampatuan and Datu Jimmy Ampatuan or five Ampatuans “connived with the actual perpetrators.”

Of the 16 Ampatuans named as perpetrators and conspirators, 12 are known. There is little information, though, about the real first names of Datu Ulo, Datu Harris, Datu Moning and Datu Jimmy.

Comelec records also show that 68 Ampatuans are running in this year’s May 10 elections—50 of them carry the surname and 18 others use Ampatuan as middle name. Of the 50, at least 23 candidates are directly related to Andal Ampatuan Sr.

Those slaughtered on November 23, 2009 had been traveling in a convoy from Buluan, Maguindanao, and were en route to the provincial office of the Commission on Elections in Shariff Aguak to file the certificate of candidacy for governor of Vice Mayor Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu of Buluan. They were stopped along the highway of Ampatuan town by about a hundred heavily armed men led by Ampatuan Jr., who dug his own political grave that same day.