Another local official from Maguindanao province tagged on Wednesday detained Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. of Datu Unsay town as the one who led the massacre of at least 57 civilians in Ampatuan town last year.
Mohammad Sangki, a Sangguniang Bayan member of Datu Abdullah Sangki town, corroborated the earlier testimony of his nephew -– Ampatuan town Vice Mayor Rasul Sangki –- that Ampatuan Jr. led the November 23, 2009 gruesome killing of the group of Ginalyn Mangudadatu, wife of Buluan town Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu.
In his testimony, Mohammad Sangki also tagged the patriarch of the powerful Ampatuan clan, Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr., as the “old man†who ordered the massacre of the group of Mangudadatu which included 30 media practitioners in Barangay Salman, Ampatuan town.
Mohammad Sangki also claimed that erstwhile Autonomous Regionb in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Governor Zaldy Ampatuan, a certain "Argie" and "Nuri" supported the plot.
Prior to Sangki’s testimony, a representative of Smart Communications Inc., Geoffrey Lizada, authenticated the billing statement of Ginalyn Mangudadatu for the period November 17 to December 18, 2009, apparently to back up claims by her husband that she called him before the massacre was carried out by the group of Ampatuan Jr.
The Buluan vice mayor has tagged Ampatuan Jr. as the one who led more or less 100 armed men who intercepted the group of his wife and sisters Farida and Eden Mangudadatu, along with more than 30 media practitioners, while on their way to file his certificate of candidacy for Maguindanao governor.
As in the past scheduled hearings, Ampatuan Jr. arrived at the trial venue in Camp Crame at around 6:30 a.m., or two hours ahead of the slated trial time set by Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Non-Commissioned Officers Clubhouse.
Reports said Ampatuan Jr. was whisked by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) from its detention cell at the NBI headquarters in Manila at about 6:16 a.m. and arrived at Camp Crame some 14 minutes later.
The convoy was escorted by patrol vehicles of the Manila Police District, the PNP’s Highway Patrol Group and the NBI.
At Camp Crame, security was again tight within the vicinities of the PNP headquarters, particularly at the entrance gates. (PNA)
scs/MM
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