Kin of massacre victims oppose Zaldy offer to turn state witness

KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines—Relatives here of lawyer Connie Brizuela, who was among those killed in the Maguindanao massacre, opposed the offer of former governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Zaldy Ampatuan to turn state witness against his father Andal Sr. and younger brother Andal Jr.

Manuel Jaime, Brizuela’s younger brother, said the current number of witnesses is more than enough to pin down the Ampatuans for the massacre described as the worst election-related violence in the country’s history.

“What for? For him to clear his name and eventually to liberate himself from being incarcerated? No thanks but we don’t need his statement anymore for he will be saying the same thing,” Jaime said.

In Koronadal City in South Cotabato, Freddie Solinap, who lost five of his newspaper staff to the massacre, said he will “not allow it to happen.”

“In the first place, he knew from the start what will happen. He did nothing to stop it. I think it’s only part of the tactics of Ampatuan’s legal team to save their clients” properties,” Solinap said.

Solinap said getting Zaldy out of jail will only bring more trouble to Maguindanao.

“We know what they are capable of. Their men are still out there,” Solinap said.

In Davao City, laywer Carlos Isagani Zarate, convenor of the Alliance Against Impunity, said the “insincerity of Zaldy’s turnaround is glaring.”

“It comes nearly two years since the gruesome murder and through all this time, he has been evading to face the courts on his complicity in the crime through various legal maneuverings and harassment of witnesses. In fact, he has not been arraigned to date,” said Zarate.

The Ampatuans are charged of masterminding the massacre of at least 57 persons, 31 of whom were journalists, on Nov. 23, 2009 on a grassy hillside in Ampatuan town. Reporter Reynaldo Momay’s body remains missing to this day.

The other victims were relatives of Maguindanao Governor Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu, who at the time of the massacre was considered a threat to the political control of the Ampatuan over the province.

“This tactic reeks of ulterior motives, as we doubt this offer is possibly a tactic concocted by the Ampatuan warlords to let Zaldy off the hook so he can have free hand to consolidate their family’s remaining wealth and power, and further threaten the witnesses to turn the case in favor of the accused,” Zarate said.

He said Justice Secretary Leila de Lima was right when she declined to accept Zaldy as a state witness.

“The Department of Justice is right in pointing out that Zaldy still stands as principal accused in the case of conspiracy for this gruesome crime, and there are strong and sufficient documentary and testimonial witnesses to warrant his conviction as well as his other co-accused family members,” he said.

But for Zaldy’s sister, Rebecca Ampatuan, fear of their father, Andal Sr., could have been the reason it took almost two years for the former ARMM governor to speak up.

“We love our parents and as children we remain obedient. But, at times there were decisions and acts that we differed and strongly opposed which we kept to ourselves,” said Rebecca, the oldest among the Ampatuan siblings.

Rebecca said Zaldy could have finally broken his silence to save himself and the other accused that have nothing to do with the mass murder.

Johaira Midtimbang, Zaldy’s wife, said “it took him enough courage to come out for the sake of the innocent.”

“He was also looking after the future of his own family, his children, his siblings and other non-members of the Ampatuan who have no participation whatsoever in the crime,” Johaira said.

Zaldy had claimed that at the time of the massacre, he was in Manila meeting with then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in Malacañang.

Datu Unsay Mayor Reshal Santiago, wife of the principal accused Andal Ampatuan, Jr. declined to comment on Zaldy’s allegations. Reports from Carlo Agamon, Jeffrey M. Tupas and Charlie C Señase, Inquirer Mindanao