By Philip Tubeza
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Former Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. only agreed to surrender his son and namesake who was tagged in the Maguindanao massacre when he got assurances that he would be put "
under the care" of then president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, a government witness said on Wednesday.
Lakmudin Saliao, a former household help of the Ampatuans who acted as a close-in aide of Andal Sr., said the clan patriarch only agreed to surrender Andal Jr. to authorities after getting assurances from former presidential adviser on Mindanao affairs Jess Dureza that his son would be put under Arroyo's care.
"Andal Jr. would be surrendered only if he is put under the care of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo," Saliao said he heard Andal Sr. tell Dureza on the phone on November 24.
He said Andal Sr. had also discussed his son’s surrender with Maguindanao Representative Didagen Dilangalen and a woman lawyer who promised "to do everything to help Andal Jr."
The following day, Andal Sr. told Dilangalen that Andal Jr. would be surrendered "to the care of Ms. Arroyo" because that "was what was agreed upon," Saliao said.
Earlier, Saliao declared that he witnessed Andal Jr. order the killing of everybody in the convoy of incumbent Maguindanao Governor Ismael Mangudadatu’s supporters and 32 journalists on November 23, 2009.
Fifty-seven were killed in the country’s worst politically motivated massacre in recent history, including Mangudadatu’s wife, sisters, supporters, and journalists who were on their way to either file his certificate of candidacy for governor or cover the event.
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