Ampatuans released by DOJ

Two of the Ampatuans, among them, ARMM governor Zaldy Ampatuan has just been cleared by the Department of Justice of all murder charges. Justice secretary Agra told journalists that he approved the petition for review of the Ampatuans after closely studying the pieces of evidence that were presented. Agra believes that Zaldy and Datu Mamasapano are not involved in the grisly massacre of 59 civilians last November 23 in Datu Sharif Aguak in Maguindanao. 


I don't know with you, but remember that this site wrote about the plan to exonerate the Ampatuans from this a few weeks ago. Sources told me that the palace intends to release Zaldy Ampatuan after a series of violent incidents rocked the province. It seems that the Ampatuans are still needed by the military to maintain the peace, so to speak, in the province. 


We all know that the Ampatuans served as counter-force or some say, counter-balance against lawless and insurgent elements in the province. Some of the military believes that Zaldy can still weave his so-called "magic" to put a stop to the violence breaking out almost everyday in Maguindanao.


The only worry some people have would actually be this---with two Ampatuans in the lam, how would this affect the status of the multiple murder cases filed against the other Ampatuans? Martial law was declared in Maguindanao specifically to allow an independent and impartial probe of the massacre. Now with two Ampatuans freed, surely, doubts will be raised. 


Some of the main witnesses to the crime were either killed or silenced. Groups are quite anxious and equally afraid that the Ampatuan clan will exert their influence upon witnesses and their families. 


This is beginning to be messy. Too messy for our comfort. Vigilance is the key.

Exclusive: SENIOR AMPATUAN TO BE ARRESTED TOMORROW

Military and police elements will arrest Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Senior tomorrow.

Ampatuan Sr. is being tagged as the mastermind or the brains behind the dastardly massacre of 57 people in Sharif Aguak in Maguindanao.

Military officials are now in the area and has secured the Ampatuan compound. Armed elements are now in the scene and will forcefully remove Ampatuan Sr from his house if he resist arrest.

Military intelligence say heavily armed men are guarding the beleaguered governor inside his fortified mansion.  These men, who also took part in the massacre, vowed to die for Ampatuan sr.

Mass Murderer Andal Ampatuan Jr. is surety bond

How to trigger massive violence in Mindanao? Simple. If anything bad happens to mass murderer Andal Ampatuan Jr. who is now detained at the NBI office in Manila, that would surely trigger rido in Maguindanao and the entire Mindanao.

And if the Opposition thinks that they can force the Ampatuan clan to divulge juicy details of Hello Garci, think again. The Government, by arresting and detaining Andal Ampatuan, committed one single act of assuring that these "secret Hello Garci documents" remain locked, stocked and barrelled.

Mrs. Arroyo now has the younger Andal Ampatuan under government custody. The younger Ampatuan is now Mrs. Arroyo's most precious commodity, err, her most important asset, a surety if you will, against possible "spillage" of info relating to Hello Garci.

In fact, if you look at it, the younger Andal is now a hostage. Threats against his life are being floated about austensibly for the senior Andal's personal consumption---Arroyo and her hawks want Andal Ampatuan to forever keep his mouth shut or something bad will happen to the 40-year old mass murderer.

Government assets are like vultures flying above the head of the younger Ampatuan. If the Patriarch balks and sends feelers to the Opposition that he's now ready to talk, then, for sure, the younger Andal will either die immediately or spend his entire life in chains.

Such is the life of those who think they are gods.

The younger Andal knows all the secrets of that Maguindanao Hello Garci operation. The Ampatuans know all the dirty things politicians did. The clan knows that they had the upper hand--they can go to the other side and sell the information in exchange for freedom.

I don't know if the elder Ampatuan already realize this---they don't have an ace anymore when they surrendered junior to Jesus Dureza. In fact, Arroyo now has the upper hand.

The detention of Andal also has a very serious security implication---if someone kills him, that would trigger violence not just in Mindanao but also in Metro Manila---justifying the imposition of a state of emergency even in NCR.

And we all know that the NBI is not the best place to keep a mass murderer. I remember months prior to the coup that ousted Erap, several NBI agents were killed there.

This Maguindanao massacre has tragedy written all over it.

Question really is---is Ampatuan ready to be betrayed by his principal? Mrs. Arroyo has a history of sacrificing her Knights for self-preservation. And mind you, in this one, the Ampatuans also incurred enemies from the military and the police who now occupy high positions in the state security establishment. It is to their best interests for the Ampatuans to keep their mouths shut.

Narco-politics and Warlordism in Mindanao

Aside from being the military stooge and dogs against Bangsamoro revolutionaries in Mindanao, the Ampatuans are also involved in narco-politics. Everyone knows that the Ampatuans and other warlords in Mindanao are engaged in the distribution of illegal drugs, especially methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu. 

There is a confidential US State department report on narcopolitics in Mindanao. I will publish this later.

Ports and airports in Mindanao are used as transshipment points for illegal drugs.

Meeting Ronnie Zamora and a glimpse of the life of a self-proclaimed Sultan of Maguindanao

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Datu Andal Ampatuan suspect in Maguindanao Massacre a close Arroyo ally

You ask me who is the real terrorist in Mindanao and without batting an eyelash, i'll say its Datu Andal Ampatuan, the governor of Maguindanao. And it's totally surprising why our fellow Muslim brothers and sisters in Mindanao, especially those Bangsamoros who are fighting for a separate Islamic state allow this political goon to live.

The massacre of about 36 people in Sharik Aguak town in Maguindanao reminds us that the problem is NOT TERRORISM---its the proliferation of political syndicates led by such characters as the Ampatuans and the Pangandamans that contributes to the further enslavement of the Bangsamoro people to poverty.

These warlords should be eradicated from the face of the earth. They put the Name of Islam in bad repute. They should not be allowed to enslave their fellow Muslims in Maguindanao and other areas. It is the duty of a pious Muslim to kill those who do not follow the precepts of Islam and those who kill with impunity, their fellow Muslims.

Ampatuan is the real terrorist in Mindanao. He should be stopped and killed. Rido demands it.

This massacre reminds us of how Ugandan leader Idi Amin exterminated whole villages who oppose his rule. Ampatuan is like Idi Amin.

And it is the fault of the national government, particularly Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo because they have tolerated and taken cared of these characters for so long. This administration has cuddled them like head lice that these people have become bigger, stronger and more brazen. They don't fear anybody because they have strong links with the palace. 

And I also blame the military. The Ampatuans and others like them grew in influence and power because they took care of them and use them in their counter-terrorism campaigns in Mindanao.

I challenge the national leadership, particularly the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)---will you allow this political goon to further destroy democracy in Mindanao? Will you allow the Ampatuans to just get away with mass murder?

This massacre is another test on how strong the political will of this administration is. If the Ampatuans get away with this without a scratch, then, government is totally useless.

Mindanao needs a civil war to correct the decades of injustice wrought by these political clans. Let the war begin.

ARMM elections and Ces Kidnapping

There's a new TV commercial out there called "Bagong Simula". It's a collaborative work done by various artists and bands. See it and you'll probably appreciate it. Or, maybe not.

While ANC was airing this material, Gloria Labandera was busy trying to launder the dirty image of her political party. She's out there in Davao convening her allies and anointing Zaldy Ampatuan, the LAKAS-KAMPI bet for the ARMM elections. At the pulpit, she lambasted the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and ordered the forces of evil to annihilate their fellow devils. So, this war in Sulu will just be between the forces of Shaitan ranged against the forces of Beelshebub. Lovely.

Informants told the NewPhilRevolution that Ces was released at that time to coincide with Gloria's foray in Mindanao. Notice how things developed truly fast after the kidnappers decided to pass on the deadline?

Did they paid money (probably not 15M as reported) upon strict orders from Malacanan since the president is arriving in Mindanao? Was that the reason for those two duffel bags which were handed by an attorney to an unnamed ASG member?

Do you notice the uncanny connection between the kidnapping and the ARMM elections? Is this what an ABS-CBN reporter referred to when she said that one of the reasons for Ces kidnapping is this ARMM elections?

Was Ces kidnapping a ploy by local politicians to get that presidential blessing? Or was it a fund-raising activity? Was it to highlight the plight of Suluanons before the global stage? Was the "betrayal" that Ces was referring to initiated by combined elements of the military and local politicians and used as bait to pressure Gloria to annoint the vice governor as ARMM candidate?

Going back...I don't see this ARMM elections as bagong simula for the peoples of Mindanao. Admit it..it's a fucked up place.