MANILA, Philippines – “There is no way out” for the Ampatuan family who have been tagged as the primary suspects in the brutal Maguindano massacre, a relative of some of the victims of the incident, said on Tuesday.
The statement came amid attempts by the former Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao Regional Governor, and one of the primary accused, Zeldy Ampatuan, to be a state witness for the case.
According to Khadafeh Mangudadatu, brother of Maguindanao Governor Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu and a relative of several of the victims in the killing, they are convinced that Zaldy Ampatuan was among the plotters behind the massacre in November 2009 in Maguindanao.
He also echoed the earlier statement of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, who junked on Tuesday Ampatuan’s petition.
“There is no way out for them, kasi alam naman ho at marami ho ang nakasaksi na prior to the November 23 massacre, ay nagkaroon ho ng pulongpulong oho at yan ho ay, ang magpapatunay po niyan ay dun ho sa ating mga witnesses (There is no way out for them because it is known and several people are witness that prior to the November 23 massacre, there were meetings held, and these will be proven by our witnesses),” the Maguindanao assemblyman said.
He added that the prosecution team must also consult first the victims’ families if they will welcome Zaldy Ampatuan’s betrayal of his family. Nevertheless, Mangudadatus said that they do not need Zaldy’s testimony.
“Hindi na ho natin kailngan ang testimony ni Zaldy Ampatuan sapagkat alam naman ho natin na isa sya sa mastermind ng karumaldumal na krimen na yan (We do not need the testimony of Zaldy Ampatuan because we know that he is one of the masterminds behind the heinous crime),” Mangudadatu said.
He added that presence of credible witnesses should be enough to expedite court proceedings.
Several members of the Mangudadatu clan were among the 57 people in the Maguindanao massacre, who were killed. The incident has been dubbed as the worst election-related crime in Philippine history.
The victims, which also included 32 journalists, were in a convoy headed to the Commission on Elections provincial office in Shariff Aguak where then Bulusan vice mayor Toto Mangudadatu was scheduled to file for his certificate of candidacy. They were ambushed by some 200 armed men, allegedly members of the Ampatuan clan’s private army.