ZAMBOANGA CITY: Authorities have tightened security in Maguindanao province as police continued searching for more evidence in the grisly killings of 57 people blamed on the scion of a powerful political clan. Police have charged Datu Unsay town Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. for the November 23 attack on a convoy of supporters of rival Vice Mayor Ismael Mangudadatu of Buluan town, also in Maguindanao.

Mangudadatu and Mayor Ampatuan are both running for governor in next year’s polls.

Ampatuan is now detained at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and his relatives, including the clan patriarch, Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr., were being considered as suspects by the Department of Justice.

Security forces, meanwhile, raided on Monday the house of police Chief Insp. Saudi Mokamad of Cotabato City in connection with the murders.

Police confiscated an M-16 Armalite rifle, assorted riffle magazines and police fatigue uniforms from the house, said Chief Supt. Josefino Cataluna, Central Mindanao police director.

Mokamad, chief of 1507th Provincial Mobile group in Maguindanao, was not in his home during the dawn raid. He has been missing since he was implicated in the murders.

His mother, meanwhile, denied there were guns hidden in her son’s home.

Senior Supt. Bienvenido Latag, the regional police chief, said that the police and military were gathering more information about the brutal killings and those who participated in the attack.

President slams massacre

Also on Monday, President Gloria Arroyo issued her strongest condemnation of the Maguindanao massacre.
“We must all join hands to strengthen our resolve that never again will rouge political leaders take the law into their hands and violate the law of the nation and the laws of God,” President Arroyo said in a statement read by her Press Secretary Cerge Remonde during a news conference.

President Arroyo added that “no nation can consider itself truly free if freedom of speech, political expression, and the press are not held as sacred.”

“If there is a silver lining to this very dark cloud I hope it is to prick the conscience of the nation and to re-dedicate our nation to freedom of the press, freedom of political expression, and freedom to vote free from fear of violence and intimidation,” she added.

Earlier, President Arroyo placed Maguindanao under a state of emergency and security forces have taken control of the provincial capitol buildings and the town halls of Shariff Aguak and Ampatuan. Soldiers also dismantled 347 government militias under the control of the Ampatuan clan and recalled troops assigned with the Ampatuans as bodyguards.

Evangelical leaders

The directors of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches also spoke out against the massacre.

In a statement also on Monday, they said, “We, members of the Evangelical community, convey our deepest sorrow and share the enormous grief and anguish of our fellow citizens in Mindanao, the whole nation, and the international community, for the tragic and untimely loss of brothers and sisters who were mercilessly murdered in broad daylight last November 23, 2009, in the municipality of Ampatuan, Maguindanao province. There is no adequate expression of what we feel and carry in our hearts. It is a most unfortunate event.”

They condemned that attack “in the strongest possible way.”

“We lament because of this mass killing,” the statement added. “It is a barbaric and savage act, with complete disregard to the rule of law, human rights, dignity and even sanity.”

The statement also urged the government to use all its powers to apprehend all the perpetrators and to apply the full force of the law to address the heinous crime.

They added, “We ask for churches and other faith groups to open their premises to serve as ‘sanctuaries’ or ‘safe space’ to all those who are helping in the process of uncovering the truth of this incident who may likely be under attack and may need protection.”

Of the 57 killed in the massacre, at least 30 were journalists. Mangudadatu’s wife and two sisters were among the victims.

Mayor Ampatuan denied masterminding the attack, but acting Justice Sec. Agnes Devanadera said there were witnesses who pointed to the politician as the alleged leader of the group that abducted and killed the victims.

Journalists killed

Different media groups have also condemned the killings of the journalists.

They were traveling in a convoy with the wife and relatives and supporters of Vice Mayor Mangudadatu when they were held by more than 100 gunmen from a rival faction and herded to a remote hillside where they were executed.

The slain journalists were:

Benjie Adolfo of Gold Star Daily, resident of Koronadal City; Henry Araneta of dzRH radio, General Santos City; Mark Gilbert “Mac Mac” Arriola of UNTV, General Santos City; Rubello Bataluna of Gold Star Daily, Koronadal City; Arturo Betia of Periodico Ini, General Santos City; Romeo Jimmy Cabillo of Midland Review, Tacurong City; Marites Cablitas of News Focus, General Santos City; Hannibal Cachuela of Punto News, Koronadal City; John Caniban of Periodico Ini, General Santos City; Lea Dalmacio of Socsargen News, General Santos City; Noel Decina of Periodico Ini, General Santos City; Gina de la Cruz of Saksi News, General Santos City; Eugene Dohillo of UNTV, General Santos City; Jhoy Duhay of Gold Star Daily, Tacurong City; Jun Gatchalian of Davao City; Bienvenido Legarte Jr. of Prontiera News, Koronadal City; Lindo Lupogan of Mindanao Daily Gazette, Davao City; Ernesto “Bart” Maravilla of Bombo Radyo, Koronadal City; Rey Merisco of Periodico Ini, Koronadal City; Reynaldo “Bebot” Momay of Midland Review, Tacurong City; Marife Montaño, of Saksi News, General Santos City; Rosell Morales of News Focus, General Santos City; Victor Nuñez of UNTV, General Santos City; Ronnie Perante of Gold Star Daily, Koronadal City; Joel Parcon of Prontiera News, Koronadal City; Fernando “Rani” Razon of Periodico Ini, General Santos City; Alejandro “Bong” Reblando of Manila Bulletin, General Santos City; Napoleon Salaysay of Mindanao Gazette, Cotabato City; Ian Subang of Socsargen Today, General Santos City; and Andres “Andy” Teodoro of Central Mindanao Inquirer, Tacurong City.

Jolito Evardo of UNTV and a resident of General Santos City was still unaccounted for.
AL JACINTO WITH REPORTS FROM ANGELO S. SAMONTE AND SAMMY MARTIN