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| Philippine Clan Leaders Guilty in Political Massacre of Scores of People | Philippine Clan Leaders Guilty in Political Massacre of Scores of People |
| (about 11 hours later) | |
| 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. | 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. |
| 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. | 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. |
| “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.” | “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.” |
| 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. | 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 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 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 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. | 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 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. | 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. |
| The case involved about 100 defendants, most of whom the court acquitted on Thursday. More than 40 people were convicted, 15 of them as accessories to the killings. | The case involved about 100 defendants, most of whom the court acquitted on Thursday. More than 40 people were convicted, 15 of them as accessories to the killings. |
| Fifty-eight people are believed to have died in the massacre, but the body of one of them — Reynaldo Momay, a journalist — was never found, and the defendants were found not guilty of killing him. His daughter, Maria Reynafe Castillo, said she had expected that. | Fifty-eight people are believed to have died in the massacre, but the body of one of them — Reynaldo Momay, a journalist — was never found, and the defendants were found not guilty of killing him. His daughter, Maria Reynafe Castillo, said she had expected that. |
| “The main perpetrators got life without parole,” she said. “I am happy with that.” | “The main perpetrators got life without parole,” she said. “I am happy with that.” |
| Not all of the suspects have been accounted for. Eighty remain at large and are believed to be hiding in the south and likely still working with the clan, officials say. The national police have said they believe that those not in custody might be 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. | 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 over the years, 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 testimony to speed up the proceedings. | International interest in the case has waned over the years, 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 testimony to speed up the proceedings. |
| “This is justice,” Martin Andanar, a spokesman for the Philippine government, said after the verdicts. “It was admittedly a slow process, but we have to go through it as warranted by our democratic system.” | “This is justice,” Martin Andanar, a spokesman for the Philippine government, said after the verdicts. “It was admittedly a slow process, but we have to go through it as warranted by our democratic system.” |
| 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. |
| 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.” | 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 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. | 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.’’’ |