SHARIFF AGUAK, Maguindanao, Philippines – Three witnesses claimed they saw Datu Unsay town mayor Andal Ampatuan, Jr. leading the armed men who flagged down a convoy of vehicles carrying the 57 victims of what is now known as the Maguindanao massacre on November 23.

A witness stated in his affidavit that their convoy was stopped and he and his co-passengers went out to take a leak and check out the premises. "We were threatened to see Datu Unsay approaching the first vehicle of the convoy," the witness said.

The first vehicle, according to the witness, carried Bai Genalin, the wife of Ampatuan’s political rival, Buluan Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu.

"At that time, we heard simultaneous shooting from the armed bodyguards of Datu Unsay. Some armed men went to and ordered the opening of the windows of the Mangudadatu’s vehicle,” the witness said.

The convoy, which also carried at least 30 journalists, was on its way to Shariff Aguak town to file the certificate of candidacy of the vice mayor, who is running for the gubernatorial post of Maguindanao.

The witnesses also disclosed that they saw many police cars and armed men in the area where the victims were seized by the group of Ampatuan.

“Out of fear, we boarded again our car and returned ... to Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat, the fastest way we could,” one of the witnesses said in his affidavit.

But a source in the Ampatuan camp, who asked not to be named for not having been authorized to speak to media, said it was impossible for the so-called witnesses to see Andal Jr. because they were standing at least 30 meters away from where the alleged armed men were.

The source said the witnesses, if indeed they were there when the group was flagged down, were at the end of the six-vehicle convoy.

The Mangudadatu brothers -- Esmael and Buluan town mayor Ibrahim -- also executed their separate affidavits about the mass killing.

In his complaint-affidavit, Esmael claimed that he received a call from his wife to tell him, “Hinarang kami ng mga armadong tao dito (We have been blocked by armed men here).”

He asked, “Marami? (Are there many of them?)” She answered, “mahigit 100 (Over 100).”

He asked again, “Sino ba yan (Who are they)?” She replied, “Malapit na si Unsay…sinampal ako (Unsay is approaching... he slapped me).”

Then, the phone call was cut.

The vice mayor added that he personally knew that the real name of “Unsay” is Datu Andal Ampatuan Jr.

Mayor Ibrahim Mangudadatu of Buluan, who went to the mass grave aboard a helicopter, claimed it was a gory sight to behold.

Ibrahim said the victims were mutilated; most of them bore bullet wounds in the head and were dumped.

In the photographs taken by the members of scene of the crime operations (SOCO), some of the victims sustained deep hack wounds.

Mangudadatu’s legal counsel Cynthia Oquendo-Ayon was hacked in the face. His other lawyer, Connie Brizuela, had a big hack wound in the stomach and her internal organs spilled out.