Bloody Maguindanao Monday
The country was on cloud nine when the week opens. Just last week, the man who is well known as the Pambansang Kamao (National Fist), Manny ‘Pacman’ Pacquiao brought home the bacon after winning his 7th title in 7 weight category by beating the Puerto Rican Miguel Coto. And on Monday (November 23, 2009), Efren Peñaflor was named CNN Hero for the year 2009.
Yet while the country was jubilant for these honors, a sad historic moment unfolds in Maguindanao, about 50 people including (an estimated) 12 journalist were held captive, killed & was buried in a grave at the Town of Ampatuan in the province of Maguindanao.
The wife of Buluan Vice Mayor Ismael “Toto” Mangudadatu, Genalyn together with her entourage of lawyers, press people & supporters were on the way to the provincial capitol in Shariff Aguak to file the certificate of candidacy of Vice Mayor Toto Mangundadatu for the position of Maguindanao Governor when armed men blocked their way and proceeded with their inhuman act.
The Mangundadatu’s pointed their fingers to the Ampatuan particularly to Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan, Jr., brother of ARMM Governor Zaldy Ampatuan and son of former Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan, Sr. Mayor Andal Ampatuan, Jr. is reportedly the administration’s bet for the Gubernatorial seat of Maguindanao.
I don’t know about the degree of guilt that the Ampatuan’s have on this incident, but a lot of questions are pondering in my mind.
- Were the journalists intentionally invited to join the convoy to act as human shields? In a TV interview, Vice Mayor Toto admintted that they were forced to postpone the filing of the COC due to reports that (allegedly) there were threats from the Ampatuans to stop them from filing the Certificate of Candidacy at all costs.
- Who authorized the use of the backhoe to dig the grave of the victims? The body markings on the backhoe clearly indicates that it belongs to the provincial government of Maguindanao (where Datu Sajid Islam Ampatuan is the incumbent governor) and was purchased during the term of former Governor Andal Ampatuan, Sr.
- Who are these people and who ordered them to do this heinous act? Allegations of these people being the ‘private army’ of the Ampatuans floated on the news, apparently, these are the CVO’s (Civilian Volunteer Organizations) of CAFGU’s armed to help the government forces against terrorism. But some political analysts claims to be converted into the private armies of several politicians.
Last Monday will be remembered as the worst day in journalism history, never in the recent history that we see journalists being killed in such inhuman way, not even during the dark days of the Martial Law.
Unless the government act decisively on this matter, never that we will see peace in our elections. The government must show these rotten politicians that they are serious enough to dismantle the private armies. The state must see to it that justice is served, the whole world is watching over this.
Personally, I offer my prayers to the families who lost their love ones, may they find peace in the midst of this tragedy, may the good Lord give justice for this inhuman act.
[...] 2 weeks after the bloody Maguindanao massacre and not much done (by the government) to resolve the killing of 64 people including 30 journalist, [...]