DAVAO CITY, Philippines -- Is the government being soft on the suspects in the carnage in Maguindanao believed to have been perpetrated by the influential Ampatuan clan, a major ally of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo?

"What gives?" asked lawyer Carlos Isagani Zarate, secretary general of the Union of Peoples Lawyers in Mindanao after learning about the meeting between Jesus Dureza, the presidential adviser on Mindanao, and the Ampatuan family.

Dureza met with the Ampatuans in Shariff Aguak town in Maguindanao on Tuesday afternoon.
"They committed to submit themselves to any investigation," Dureza told the Inquirer by phone.

The meeting, held at the Ampatuan residence in Shariff Aguak, was attended by ARMM Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan, Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr., and Datu Unsay town mayor Andal Jr.

Andal Jr. was accused of leading the armed men who abducted and killed at least 52 people in Ampatuan town on Monday. The victims were on their way to Shariff Aguak town to file the certificate of candidacy of Buluan town vice mayor Esmael Mangudadatu, who has expressed intention run for governor, a post long held by the Ampatuans, in the 2010 elections.

But Dureza said there was no talk about if indeed Andal Jr. did what he has been accused of.

"I did not ask him that. I went there to tell them about the creation of the Crisis Management Committee, and about the investigation," Dureza said.

But the visit to the Ampatuans did not look good to the public.

"We have a government now who shows its weakness in the face of an unspeakable act of terrorism. Often, we see the authorities making arrests of suspected terrorists who turned out to be fall guys. And now, it appears that the government is having a difficulty in dealing with the suspects who did an open unadulterated act of terrorism," Zarate said.

"Is this government afraid? Or inutile? Or simply powerless against the powers-that-be in Maguindanao?" the lawyer asked.

He said the visit paid by Dureza on the Ampatuans showed a government in a precarious situation and the President’s declaration of a state of emergency showed government’s helplessness in the face of powerful people breaking the law.

"The declaration of state of emergency only goes to show that the government is dealing with people whom they consider as more powerful than the law. The government apparently is helpless. And Dureza clearly showed that the suspects are uncontrollable," Zarate said.

"They needed a special power to end lawlessness in Maguindanao," Zarate added.

Amirah Ali Lidasan, national president of Moro group Suara Bangsamoro, said Dureza’s visit to the Ampatuans was like rubbing salt on wounds.

"It was unforgivable for Dureza to visit the identified suspects. What will the families of the victims think? What will they feel? Their pain now is beyond words and then, they see national officials being friendly with the identified suspects, patting them on their backs," Lidasan said.

Lidasan said Dureza should instead pressure the Ampatuans holding public offices to resign during the investigation. And if they refused to do so, she said, the government must relieve them of their positions.

"He (Dureza) must make a stand, a firm one. His tact is only angering the people. This is the defining moment for Gloria Arroyo and her administration. Warlordism and political patronage must stop now and they must dismantle militia groups and private armies in Maguindanao. The administration must have the political will to stop the violence in Maguindanao," Lidasan said.

Zarate said that instead of "patching up" the rift between the Mangudadatu and Ampatuan clans, the government must present their suspects to the public.

"Mrs. Arroyo's term will end next year. The Ampatuan massacre will be a litmus case for her and her administration. If not, she and her administration will really go down history as the worst kind of administration in Philippine history," he said.

Gabriela Partylist Rep. Luz Ilagan said local, national and international women organizations were dismayed with the way the Arroyo administration had been handling the Maguindanao massacre investigation.

"Malacañang and Arroyo's people are too slow and it only fuels the suspicion of people that the Ampatuans are really very close to Malacañang officials and Malacañang is afraid to take concrete actions against them," Ilagan said.

"Malacanang is bending over backwards doing everything to allow the Ampatuans to prepare their response. The situation calls for drastic action, but we are given the impression that Malacañang is always coddling the Ampatuans or the people identified with those behind this barbaric act," she added.

Darwin Wee, chairman of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippine in Zamboanga City, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-tawi, also lambasted the government for the special treatment it seemed to be giving to the Ampatuans.

"There should be no special treatment. These are animals that must be punished in the eyes of God and human laws. This is beyond politics," Wee said.