We condemn the massive brutal killings in Maguindanao yesterday. According to Inquirer news, "the death toll from an attack on a group of journalists and politicians in the lawless southern Philippines has risen to 22 with the recovery of one more body, the military said."
Yesterday at around 10am, Vice Mayor Ishmael Mangudadatu received a call from his wife that "at least 100 armed men were holding her and 50 others, including 34 journalists."
Based on reports, the alleged gunmen came from the camp of Ampatuans? Who are these political people?
Jaime Jimeno, for his comprehensive report on Philippine Center for Investigative Journalists (PCIJ), wrote about the Ampatuans who have been allegedly involved in the political killings. According to Jimeno, "The Ampatuans are just the latest in a long line of political dynasties that have thrived in Mindanao. Yet while the Ampatuan clan has lorded over Maguindanao only since 2001, its members already have a hold over key government positions, elective and appointive, and not only in the province itself."
Jimeno furthered, "Andal Ampatuan has four wives and over 30 children, and intermarriages with other political clans have made his political stock stronger. But political analysts trace the clan’s formidable clout to two main factors: guns and the blessings of Malacanang. They even note that no less than the Palace made it legal for the Ampatuans to have hundreds of armed men and women under their employ."
This is another hit against Arroyo administration. The Ampatuans delivered thousands of votes from Maguindanao to win the bid of Gloria Arroyo. Recall in Hello Garci conversations, Garci was heard saying Maguindanao would not be much problem for Arroyo. Jimeno wrote, " His words turned out to be more than prophetic, with Maguindanao giving Arroyo 193,938 votes, against the 59,892 votes obtained by popular action film star Fernando Poe Jr."
Now, the Arroyo Administration investigates the killings. Will the administration protect the Ampatuans?
For journalists, this is the worst loss of life. Inday Espina-Verona, former chief of National Union of Journalists in the Philippines, issued a statement entitled, Who will protect us from our protectors?
Inday shared, "Let us grieve not just for our media colleagues -- though theirs is an especially tragic fate, to die in the line of duty, serving a profession that more often than not deprives provincial practitioners of a living wage and social benefits."
In a press release, Presidential candidate Bro Eddie Villaneuva condemned the brutality. “This is a symptom of the lawlessness that prevails in the country today. This must be stopped immediately by the authorities who are in charge. Massacres should not define the 2010 elections,” Villanueva said as he expressed condolences to the families of the victims of the brutal murders in Maguindanao yesterday.
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