By Michael Lim Ubac
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 17:36:00 11/25/2009

MANILA, Philippines— (UPDATE 2) The executive committee of Lakas-Kampi-CMD on Wednesday night voted unanimously to expel Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr. and his two sons, Gov. Zaldy Uy Ampatuan of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. of Datu Unsay town, as party members in good standing after they were linked to the Maguindanao massacre.

“The Ampatuans were stripped of party membership for their failure to uphold party ideals and principles in their area of jurisdiction, specifically relating to the peaceful, legal and democratic pursuit and exercise of political power,” said Lakas-Kampi president and Sarangani Gov. Miguel Dominguez in a phone interview.

Top officials of the administration party held an emergency meeting in Pasig City to tackle the fate of the Ampatuans.

The Maguindanao governor is also the provincial chair of the Lakas-Kampi- Christian Muslim Democrats, while the ARMM governor is the regional chair.

Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro, Lakas-Kampi-CMD chair, earlier called for their expulsion from the party.

Teodoro said in a statement: “I have called on the party to take the decisive step to initiate expulsion proceedings against them for their failure to uphold party ideals and principles in their area of jurisdiction, especially relating to the peaceful, legal and democratic pursuit and exercise of political power.”

Dominguez said Ampatuan Sr. and Zaldy “being both the actual and symbolic heads of the Ampatuan clan, are now considered expelled from the party and relieved of their duties and responsibilities as the party provincial chair for Maguindanao and regional chair of ARMM, respectively.”

He also urged the Philippine National Police to swiftly solve the massacre in keeping with the call of Teodoro, the administration party’s standard-bearer.

Teodoro, the former Defense secretary, made the call for the Ampatuans’ expulsion during a visit to Buluan town in Maguindanao, two days after the massacre of at least 57 people, including members of the Mangudadatu political clan and several journalists. The victims were seized and killed by armed men said to be followers of the powerful Ampatuan clan.

Teodoro came from an oath-taking of new party members in nearby Midsayap town.

In Buluan, Teodoro condoled with families of the victims of what has been described as the worst politically related massacre in the nation’s history.

He urged the government to arrest Andal Ampatuan Jr., who was believed to be behind the massacre, and disarm suspected perpetrators of the “dastardly crime,” as well as all armed groups in the area to prevent an escalation of violence. With a report from Lira Dalangin-Fernandez, INQUIRER.net

Kung may Texas Chainsaw massacre, sa Pilipinas, eto ang medyo kakaibang version.

The news of people getting killed for political reasons, wasn’t new to my ears. I mean, that’s how dirty politics is in Philippines, right? But recently, as I scan through forums, watch late night news, I couldn’t help but react with the amassing number of people found dead, the vivid scene of the crime, and the “unknown”suspects.

The Maguindanao massacre hasn’t affected me much until I saw a picture of man, lying face up, his whole body covered in blood and mud. His face is almost unrecognizable, and is about to break off from its neck. his left arm was slashed, the muscles peeking out. I did not dare see other shots, it was just too graphic. I could hardly imagine how the killers massive number of people. Wow, ano sila, vampires?!

I couldn’t find more words to describe it. Pathetic, vile, ruthless are definitely understatements. What the hell these were thinking? My gosh, it’s really scary. If such politicians can do such act for a regional government position, how much more if they were to run for the ‘most coveted’ title as president of the Philippines?!

What really irks me is the fact that the supposedly suspects (Ampatuans) had not been dragged to PNP for some clarification, simply because they lack evidence. Heck Arroyo had to declare national day of mourning, instead of doing hasty actions of the barbaric act.

lack of evidence my ass!

Eh bakit yung iba kahit walang evidence, the mere subjective suspicion palang dinadala na sa presinto? Bakit? hawak ba nila ang mga nasa taas sa leeg? Kaya ba nila burahin sa mapa ang Pilipinas, tulad ng muntik nang gawin ni Ondoy sa Maynila?

That massacre could happen again and again. As long as there will be people blinded by this earthly goods, as long as these evil dogs have a pack of stupid puppies whom they bark can around, and as long as they have endless stream of cash to keep everyone’s mouth shut.

With these, they deserve one big middle finger in air. Well MORE than that, really.

Philippine President Gloria Arroyo vowed Wednesday justice would be served after 52 people were killed in a political massacre, but refused to say if an ally blamed for the murders would be arrested.

Journalists and troopers look as a backhoe pulls the wreckage of one of three vehicles that was dumped together with massacre victims along a hillside grave in Ampatuan, Maguindanao province, southern Philippines on Wednesday Nov. 25, 2009. (AFP Photo)

As more bodies were pulled out of shallow graves following Monday’s election-linked killings in the lawless south of the country, Arroyo insisted she was committed to tracking down those responsible.

“This is a supreme act of inhumanity that is a blight on our nation,” presidential spokesman Cerge Remonde said on the ABS CBN television network.

“The president has vowed that the perpetrators will not find the way to escape justice.”

Police earlier said the top suspect in the massacre was Andal Ampatuan Jnr, a member of Arroyo’s ruling coalition and the son of a powerful regional politician who has helped secure votes for the president in previous elections.

“According to the initial reports, those who were abducted and murdered at Saniag were initially stopped by a group led by the mayor of Datu Unsay,” national police spokesman Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina said.

Ampatuan Jnr is the mayor of Datu Unsay and his father of the same name is the governor of Maguindanao province, a lawless part of the strife-torn Mindanao island where the massacre took place.

However, two days after the massacre, authorities indicated an arrest of Ampatuan Jnr was not imminent.

Speaking on DZMM radio, Espina said investigators still needed to speak with witnesses before they could secure a court order for the arrest of the suspects.

Asked if Ampatuan Jnr would be arrested, Remonde replied: “I will not telegraph our punches”.

But he said Arroyo had delivered a message to the Ampatuan clan, which has its own private army, not to obstruct the police investigation.

The massacre occurred after about 100 Ampatuan gunmen allegedly abducted a convoy of aides and relatives of a rival Maguindanao politician, Esmael Mangudadatu, plus a group of journalists.

The victims were abducted as they were travelling in a six-vehicle convoy to nominate Mangudadatu as the opposition candidate for governor in next year’s elections. He was not in the convoy.

They were shot a short time later at close range, some with their hands tied behind their backs, and dumped or buried in shallow graves on a remote farming road close to a town bearing the Ampatuan name.

The death toll rose from 46 to 52 after six more bodies were pulled out of the graves on Wednesday, according to police.

The victims included at least 13 local journalists who had been intending to report on Mangudadatu’s governorship nomination, making Monday’s killings the deadliest single attack on the media in history.

Ampatuan Snr had been grooming his son to take over as governor of Maguindanao province, and the victims’ relatives have alleged the Ampatuans organised the murders so that Mangudadatu would not run for governor.

Arroyo on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in Maguindanao and neighbouring Cotabato city, a stronghold of the Ampatuans, amid fears the killings could trigger a clan war.

But instead of ordering tough action against her allies, she sent a special envoy, Jesus Dureza, to the Ampatuan camp on Tuesday to get the clan to pledge its cooperation in an investigation.

The ruling coalition’s candidate for next year’s presidential election, ex-defence secretary Gilberto Teodoro, backed calls for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the suspects.

“This is a test case. The government should be decisive in going against this group, to arrest the perpetrators no matter who they are, whether they are political allies or not,” he said.

The Philippine Commission on Human Rights chairwoman, Leila De Lima, also called for immediate action by the president.

“I am appealing to President Gloria Arroyo to show political will, for her to show to the public that the investigation by the government is serious,” she told AFP.

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The “Lede” of the New York Times has a blog post about the recent massacre on Mindanao Island, Philippines. According to latest reports, the death toll has reached 57 and the President has called for a state of emergency.

The Lede alludes to the possibility that the massacre is linked to former provincial governor, and head of the powerful Ampatuan clan, Andal Ampatuan. Many consider the Ampatuan clan a government backed militia used to suppress Islamist rebels, like the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Those massacred were from the rival Mangudadatu clan. They were killed while en route to file gubernatorial candidacy papers for the clan’s leader Esmael Mangudadatu. Amongst the dead were Mr. Mangudadatu’s wife and daughter.  Mr. Mangudadatu is a Vice Mayor of a district in Maguindanao province. He was unharmed in the attack.

Filipino broadcaster Marites Vitug, called the clan violence a “monster” created by the government. Vitug further stated “[President] Arroyo not only faces a political problem here but the possibility that there may be massive retaliation or rido. When it comes to rido, women, children and old people are never touched. But Monday’s atrocity has changed all that.”

Clan retaliation (or “rido”) has prompted worries form President Arroyo and the central government. According to a USAID research project, there were 218 cases of rido in Maguindanao province (where the massacre occurred) from the 1930s to 2005.

http://miriadas.wordpress.com/2009/11/20/insomne/

In Burgonio’s article entitled “Arroyo on Senate report: Gossip mixed with facts“ , he/she (it is unknown to me if TJ is a she or a he) said:

MANILA, Philippines — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Thursday bristled at “unsubstantiated allegations” about her role in the $329-million National Broadband Network (NBN) scandal that has dogged her administration since 2007.

I will leave it up to you to read the whole report, but I would love to complement Burgonio for this very truthful title. The truth is “gossip” is a very essential an element of Philippine media and political culture.