MANILA, Philippines?Malacañang on Wednesday shrugged off the Ampatuan family?s denial of involvement in the Nov. 23 massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao.

?These are matters subject to rules of evidence and testimony, so it?s difficult for us to comment. It?s up to the courts to determine the truthfulness of the claims of the Ampatuans,? Gary Olivar, one of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo?s spokespersons, told the Inquirer by phone.

Zaldy Ampatuan, former governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
(ARMM), had claimed that he and Representatives Yusop Jikiri and Munir Abison and other political leaders of Sulu were in Malacañang on Nov. 23 to discuss with Ms Arroyo how to resolve the electoral conflicts in the province.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde confirmed this in a radio interview but said that Ms Arroyo attended the meeting only briefly. He also said that she had since severed her ties with the Ampatuans.

Alibi

Cabinet Secretary Silvestre Bello III, also a member of the ruling party and a former justice secretary, said the ARMM governor was laying down an alibi by claiming that he was at the Palace at the time of the massacre.

As for Zaldy Ampatuan?s claim that Ms Arroyo could attest to his innocence, Bello said: ?That?s his claim. It?s up to the President to either affirm or validate it, contradict or repudiate it.?

Bello also said that it was up to the courts to decide whether or not to summon Ms Arroyo in order to determine the veracity of Zaldy Ampatuan?s claim.

?Whether you?re an ally or not, it has no significance to the case. If you?re found guilty, you should suffer the consequences of your misbehavior,? Bello said in reaction to observations that the ARMM governor?s claim had revived reports of the Ampatuans? close ties to the President.

The Ampatuans were long-time political allies of the President.

?Unfortunately, I wasn?t there at the meeting. There was no way of validating the claim of Ampatuan. My assumption is he?s laying the ground for his defense. That?s part of his defense, which is an alibi,? said Bello by phone, adding:

?If it?s true, he has a right to say it. If it?s not true, that will later be established.?

No political overtones

Olivar also said the courts should not be distracted by Zaldy Ampatuan?s claim that he was attending a meeting of the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD party in Malacañang when the massacre was taking place.

?Let?s not allow political overtones to arise from this whole inquiry. Let?s focus on the important thing: Justice for the victims and punishment for the criminals,? he said.

The family patriarch, former Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr., his sons and other family members are believed responsible for the mass murder of the 57 people who were in a convoy heading to Shariff Aguak to file the certificate of candidacy of Buluan Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu for Maguindanao governor.

The Mangudadatus and Ampatuans are political rivals.

The massacre was the worst election-related violence in the country. The killing of 30 media workers who had joined the convoy was the largest single loss of lives for journalists anywhere in the world.

The Ampatuans have denied involvement.

According to Maguindanao Gov. Sajid Islam Ampatuan, a son of Ampatuan Sr., the allegations against him and his family were intended to push them out of power in the province.

In his counteraffidavit submitted to the Department of Justice, Sajid Ampatuan said the complaint filed by the Philippine National Police?s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group against him was ?fabricated to emasculate me [in front of] my supporters and decimate my family for purely political purposes.?

?This is a mere power grab, which is unacceptable in a democratic society,? he said.

Sajid Ampatuan, his brothers ARMM Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan and Shariff Aguak Mayor Anwar Ampatuan and their cousin, Maguindanao Vice Gov. Akmad Ampatuan, have submitted to a preliminary investigation.

They said in their counteraffidavits that they were someplace else when the attack on their rival?s convoy was purportedly planned in Ampatuan Sr.?s house on Nov. 22.

Ampatuan Sr. and another son Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. (so far the lone accused in the massacre and who is being held at the National Bureau of Investigation headquarters in Manila) have both waived their right to give counteraffidavits.

More guns found

Meanwhile, more firearms believed to belong to the Ampatuans were found by government troops on Tuesday night, the spokesperson of the Armed Forces of the Philippines said Wednesday.

The fresh batch of weapons was discovered during a search of a gym in the capital town of Shariff Aguak, Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. told reporters.

Brawner said the firearms would help the government bolster the rebellion case against the Ampatuans.

In separate instances this month, more than 1,000 high-powered guns and rounds of ammunition were found by government troops buried in properties of the Ampatuans or concealed in the walls of their houses.

On the phone with the Inquirer in Manila, Senior Supt. Sonny David, operations chief of the ARMM, said the latest cache of weapons was found in the ceiling of the gym located beside the capitol building.

David said a team of policemen and soldiers searched the gym at around 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday on a tip from a resident.

He said that among the weapons found were eight M-16 assault rifles, two M-60 machine guns, a K-3 submachine gun, nine M-14 rifles and a spare barrel for an M-16 rifle.

David said the firearms would be taken to a police camp in General Santos City for testing.

?These weapons could have been used in the massacre. That?s why we requested a ballistics test for all the guns,? he told the Inquirer.

Guns as evidence

Brawner said the recovery of the latest cache ?occurred outside martial law, so it would really help the police and government prosecutors in the case.?

He said all the confiscated firearms would be presented as evidence but that questions about the constitutionality of the weeklong martial law imposed by President Arroyo in Maguindanao could adversely affect the validity as evidence of the weapons seized from Ampatuan properties during that time.

Ms Arroyo declared martial law in the province on Dec. 4, purportedly to quell a looming rebellion among the Ampatuans? armed supporters. She lifted it on Dec. 12.

Brawner said the operation on Tuesday night was the second time government troops found Ampatuan-owned firearms after Dec. 12.

He said the first instance was on Dec. 17 when a number of weapons were dug up at the back of the mansion of Ampatuan Sr., where they also found the body of a young civilian volunteer believed to have been killed in a clash with government troops.

?Our search for the firearms of the Ampatuans is ongoing,? added Brawner. With a report from Marlon Ramos