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Philippine Clan Leaders Found Guilty in Political Massacre of Scores of People Philippine Clan Leaders Guilty in Political Massacre of Scores of People
(about 1 hour later)
MANILA — Congressman Esmael Mangudadatu choked back tears during a recent breakfast as he recalled the killing of his wife a decade ago in one of the country’s worst political massacres. MANILA — A Philippine court on Thursday found the leaders of a powerful local dynasty guilty in one of the country’s worst political massacres, in which dozens of members of a rival politician’s convoy were ambushed and gunned down more than 10 years ago.
“They shot my wife 17 times,” Mr. Mangudadatu, his voice cracking, told journalists in Manila as he described the horror of a day that saw the killings of 58 people on a hilltop in the southern Philippines. “They shot her on her breasts, her private parts. Such unimaginable cruelty.” Three brothers — Zaldy Ampatuan, Sajid Ampatuan and Andal Ampatuan Jr. — were sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for the killings of 57 people on Nov. 23, 2009, in the southern province of Maguindanao. Most of the victims were journalists and media workers, and others were supporters and family members of Esmael Mangudadatu, a candidate for governor, on their way to file papers for his candidacy.
On Thursday, more than a decade after the massacre, a court found the leaders of a powerful political dynasty guilty in the killings. “They shot my wife 17 times,” Mr. Mangudadatu, now a member of the Philippine Congress, told journalists in Manila recently, choking back tears. “They shot her on her breasts, her private parts. Such unimaginable cruelty.”
The defendants were charged for their roles in the Nov. 23, 2009, massacre, in which a convoy of people led by Mr. Mangudadatu’s wife, Genalyn Mangudadatu, were shot as they were heading to file for his candidacy for governor of Maguindanao Province. Reporters Without Borders called it the biggest massacre of journalists in history. Even for the Philippines, where political murders are commonplace, the scale of the killings was shocking.
The volatile area in the southern Philippines was long controlled by the political dynasty, the Ampatuan clan, which investigators say carried out the attack because Mr. Mangudadatu’s candidacy represented a direct challenge to the group’s power. The volatile Maguindanao area in the southern Philippines was long controlled by the Ampatuan clan, whose leaders investigators say carried out the attack because Mr. Mangudadatu’s candidacy represented a direct challenge to their power.
The clan, led by Andal Ampatuan Sr., had built up their political might by aligning with the government, which used Mr. Ampatuan and his large private army as a militia to counter Muslim separatists and militants operating on Mindanao Island. The clan, led by the Ampatuan brothers’ father, Andal Ampatuan Sr., who died in 2015, had built up their political might by aligning with the government, which used Mr. Ampatuan and his large private army as a militia to counter Muslim separatists and militants operating on Mindanao Island, which includes Maguindanao.
There had been threats of violence before the massacre. But Mr. Mangudadatu and his supporters were confident that the large number of journalists and media workers in their convoy — 32 in all — would give the rival clan a pause, witnesses testified at the trial.There had been threats of violence before the massacre. But Mr. Mangudadatu and his supporters were confident that the large number of journalists and media workers in their convoy — 32 in all — would give the rival clan a pause, witnesses testified at the trial.
Instead a militia unit led by Mr. Ampatuan’s favorite son and namesake seized the group and forced them at gunpoint to a hilltop, where they were shot and hacked to death, witnesses said. The violence had been planned in advance, witnesses told the court, and the gunmen, backed by corrupt local police officers on their payroll, tried to bury the remains using a government-owned backhoe. Instead, a militia unit led by Andal Ampatuan Jr., the patriarch’s favorite son, seized the group and forced them at gunpoint to a hilltop, where they were shot and hacked to death, witnesses said. The violence had been planned in advance, witnesses told the court, and the gunmen, backed by corrupt local police officers on their payroll, tried to bury the remains using a government-owned backhoe.
But not all of the suspects in the massacre have been accounted for. Eighty others remain at large and are believed to be hiding in the south and likely still working with for the clan, officials say. The national police have said they believe that those not in custody cannot be found, saying they were possibly hiding in areas controlled by armed Muslim militants.But not all of the suspects in the massacre have been accounted for. Eighty others remain at large and are believed to be hiding in the south and likely still working with for the clan, officials say. The national police have said they believe that those not in custody cannot be found, saying they were possibly hiding in areas controlled by armed Muslim militants.
The suspects who are still at large remain a continued source of worry. Earlier this month, a man who had testified for the prosecution, Basit Taguigaya, was killed in an ambush.The suspects who are still at large remain a continued source of worry. Earlier this month, a man who had testified for the prosecution, Basit Taguigaya, was killed in an ambush.
“He was supposed to join me in Manila for the promulgation of the Maguindanao massacre case,” Mr. Mangudadatu told reporters recently. “No one has yet been arrested. Are the lives of those who testified also in danger?”“He was supposed to join me in Manila for the promulgation of the Maguindanao massacre case,” Mr. Mangudadatu told reporters recently. “No one has yet been arrested. Are the lives of those who testified also in danger?”
Three other witnesses who testified against the Ampatuan clan have also been killed as the case has wound its way through the notoriously slow Philippine criminal justice system. Andal Ampatuan Sr., who was among the accused, died of natural causes in prison in 2015. Three other witnesses who testified against the Ampatuan clan have also been killed as the case has wound its way through the notoriously slow Philippine criminal justice system. Andal Ampatuan Sr., who was among the accused, died of natural causes in prison.
International interest in the case has waned, but Filipino reporters have kept a spotlight on it because 32 of their colleagues died in the massacre. International interest in the case has waned, but Filipino reporters have kept a spotlight on it because so many of their colleagues died in the massacre.
The delays led the country’s Supreme Court to appoint a special court to focus exclusively on the case and expedite the testimony to speed up the proceedings.The delays led the country’s Supreme Court to appoint a special court to focus exclusively on the case and expedite the testimony to speed up the proceedings.
The New York-based Human Rights Watch this week called on the authorities to round up the suspects who are still on the loose, arguing that the families of the victims and witnesses are at risk of being attacked.The New York-based Human Rights Watch this week called on the authorities to round up the suspects who are still on the loose, arguing that the families of the victims and witnesses are at risk of being attacked.
“Regardless of the verdicts in the case, Philippine authorities need to apprehend the several dozen suspects still at large,” said Phil Robertson, the deputy director of the group’s Asia division. Phil Robertson, deputy director of the rights group’s Asia division, said Thursday that the verdict “should prompt the country’s political leaders to finally act to end state support for ‘private armies’ and militias that promotes the political warlordism that gave rise to the Ampatuans.”
Nena Santos, a lawyer who represented Mr. Mangudadatu, said she has received more than a hundred threats to her life in the past decade. Most of the threats came through text messages, although she said she has been threatened in person, too. Nena Santos, a lawyer who represented Mr. Mangudadatu, said she had received more than a hundred threats to her life in the past decade. Most of the threats came through text messages, although she said she has been threatened in person, too.
“Name it, I have received it,” she said, alluding to the threats. “In one instance I received a text message at 4:30 in the morning that said ‘the person who is going to kill you is already there at your house.’’’“Name it, I have received it,” she said, alluding to the threats. “In one instance I received a text message at 4:30 in the morning that said ‘the person who is going to kill you is already there at your house.’’’