New witness on Maguindanao massacre surfaces

Former Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

COTABATO CITY—A man claiming to be closely associated with former Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr. on Friday said he was ready to testify “to tell the truth” about the Maguindanao massacre.

Identifying himself only as Commander Sam, he told the Catholic-run dxMS here that he could provide more details on the plot to kill now Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu, which went awry and resulted in the death of more than 50 people, mostly journalists, instead.

He said he was present in the meetings that Andal Sr., the Ampatuan patriarch had called for this purpose.

Commander Sam said the plot revolved around Mangudadatu’s decision to challenge the Ampatuan patriarch in the 2010 gubernatorial elections.

“The first meeting (where the plot was hatched) was held in Manila Hotel on Nov. 19, 2009,” he said.

Commander Sam said Ampatuan Sr. presided over the said meeting attended by some relatives and his sons.

In surfacing, he said that he wanted to help because there were “innocent people” charged in the massacre.

“I am bothered by my conscience, I have to tell the truth,” he said in explaining why he decided to surface only now, more than two years after the carnage took place.

“We all die anyway, I’d rather tell the truth about the massacre to unburden me of guilt because while I knew something, yet I kept my mouth shut,” he said in Filipino.

But former Energy Undersecretary Zamsamin Ampatuan, now chief of Barangay Poblacion in Raja Buayan, Maguindanao, downplayed Commander Sam’s claims.

Ampatuan, a close relative of Andal Sr., said there had been people claiming knowledge about the massacre to gain publicity as the elections draw near.

“Many (politicians) in Maguindanao are using the issue of the carnage for publicity as they started campaigning for next year’s election … why not allow the souls of those who perished to rest in peace,” Ampatuan said.

But the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) said Commander Sam’s surfacing might really help in the prosecution of the main suspects in the carnage.

“Definitely very relevant. Any witness, who can prove that there was conspiracy to stop at all costs the filing of COC against Ampatuan, including the killing of journalists, is welcome,” Rowena Paraan said, NUJP secretary general, said.