The Philippine National Police (PNP) deployed intelligence agents to Tamarind Road in the posh Dasmariñas Village in Makati City; Arellano and Negros Sts., also in Makati City; San Andres Bukid in Manila and Tandang Sora in Quezon City to arrest the CVOs once they show up.
The houses were traced by intelligence agents through Ampatuan’s application papers with the Firearms and Explosives Division (FED) at Camp Crame.
There are several more Ampatuans who gave their addresses in Metro Manila on their gun license applications with the FED. Police intelligence agents are still validating whether they are related to the massacre suspects.
The monitoring of the Ampatuan houses came despite claims by Muslim elders that there are no sightings of Mayor Ampatuan’s CVOs in Muslim communities in Metro Manila.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) earlier claimed that the CVOs who took part in the massacre are now hiding in the metropolis.
PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa admitted receiving the same intelligence reports and called on the CVOs to surrender and submit themselves to the rule of law.
However, a ranking NCRPO official belittled the possibility that the civilian volunteers would hide in Metro Manila. “Our intelligence deployment is concentrated on Muslim communities in the metropolis. Maybe they can go hide in the neighboring provinces of Maguindanao but not in Metro Manila which would be disadvantageous on their part because they would be distanced from their families who are still dependent on them for support,” the NCRPO official said.
Muslim elders heeded the call of the NCRPO for their cooperation and support in maintaining peace and order in Metro Manila.
“The civilian volunteers or supporters of the Ampatuans have no place in our community. We are peace-loving people and we would gladly report their presence once they enter our community,” the Muslim elders told NCRPO chief Director Roberto Rosales.
Despite the assurance, Rosales said they have intensified intelligence operations to locate the CVOs and to prevent the spillover of the Maguindanao fighting in Metro Manila.
Ombudsman steps in
Investigators of the Office of the Ombudsman are looking into the possible misuse of government funds in Maguindanao.
Assistant Ombudsman Mark Jalandoni said Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez has instructed Deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao Humphrey Monteroso to conduct a lifestyle check on the Ampatuans.
The probe also aims to determine if an unexplained wealth case can be built against the Ampatuans based on reports that they own more than a dozen mansions and keep billions of pesos in cash, he added.
Jalandoni said the anti-graft agency will also look into how the province and its municipalities have been using their internal revenue allotment.
Their officials could have violated the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and committed malversation of public funds, he added.
Jalandoni said graft investigators would be able to work faster because the alleged mansions and luxury vehicles of the Ampatuans have already been exposed.
“Even without a complaint, if we see that there are enough allegations and evidence, the Office can investigate,” he said.
Jalandoni said the anti-graft agency’s field investigation office was tasked to collate results of the investigations of other government agencies, particularly the Commission on Audit and the Anti-Money Laundering Council.
If evidence shows misuse of public funds, the Office of the Ombudsman will file a forfeiture case in court for the recovery of ill-gotten wealth and file administrative and criminal charges against the Ampatuan family, according to Assistant Ombudsman Jose de Jesus Jr.
Jalandoni said Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno has asked the Office of the Ombudsman to place all eight Ampatuans holding different positions under preventive suspension.
Among those in the list are Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr., Acting Vice-Gov. Akmad Ampatuan Sr., Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., Datu Saudi Ampatuan Mayor Saudi Ampatuan Jr., Mamasapano Mayor Akmad Ampatuan, Mamasapano Vice Mayor Muhamad Bahnari Ampatuan, Salibo Vice Mayor Kanor Ampatuan, and Datu Abdullah Sangki Councilor Muhamad Sangki.
Complaints vs Ampatuans filed last year
A concerned people’s organization has complained to the Office of the President (OP) about numerous irregularities in Maguindanao, and the information has been referred to the Office of the Ombudsman and to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) as early as last year, according to documents obtained by The STAR.
In a letter received by the OP on Aug. 11, 2008, the concerned people’s organization appealed to President Arroyo for her “noble attention to our agony” about “our local leaders (that) fill our hearts with terror and degradation.”
The same letter was received by the General Government Administration Office on Aug. 12, 2008, which subsequently endorsed it to the Office of the Ombudsman “for information and appropriate action” on Aug. 14, 2008.
The anti-graft agency received the letter last Sept. 3, 2008.
It referred the letter to the CHR on Nov. 11, 2008. The CHR received the document on Nov. 24, 2008.
“The province of Maguindanao is entirely unique from the rest of the country,” read the letter.
“It is ruled by a wealth (sic) and blood-raven governor, Datu Andal Ampatuan Sr. This place is seriously ill that needs serious attention of the national and local authorities.
“We are very much worried seeing our home place now became killing fields (sic).”
The five-page letter said the rule of Ampatuan Sr. “gave birth to tyranny in Maguindanao” amid corruption as well as what the group described as “carnage of innocent people.”
“Ambush dramas happen wherever the government would like it,” read the letter.
It mentioned certain areas where the alleged schemes were carried out, including the Quirino Bridge in Cotabato City and Datu Odin Sinsuat municipality.
The letter said these “ambush dramas” were planned to boost the popularity of the Ampatuans, as well as for the clan to get more sympathy from the people of Maguindanao.
These ambush dramas were intended to allow the transfer of the provincial capitol from Sultan Kudarat to Shariff Aguak, the letter added.
The letter said it was made to appear that the life of the governor was in danger while on his way to the provincial capitol in Sultan Kudarat.
“Today, the provincial capitol is already in Shariff Aguak, hometown of the Ampatuan clan,” read the letter.
“The transfer of the capitol in their hometown paves the way to their over doings (sic).
“It allows them to maneuver affairs to suit their needs such as results of elections and exploit the resources of the province for their own personal pleasures and to stay in power.”
The letter reported other alleged incidents:
• The untoward death of the governor’s son, Saudi Ampatuan, former mayor of Datu Piang, due to an alleged “mishandling” of the so-called ambush drama;
• The killing of an entire family, including an eight-month-old child, who was buried alive in Datu Piang, for being relatives of “somebody in their hit list”;
• The abduction, rape, and murder of a high school student of Notre Dame of Dulawan, who was subsequently “thrown like an animal;”
• The murders of alleged former fiancée or boyfriends of certain wives of the governor as well as the wife of his son and namesake, Datu Andal Ampatuan Jr.: and
• The death of a man through the use of a chainsaw.
The letter said the man was subsequently buried “in the rice field somewhere in Shariff Aguak.”
The victim was reportedly an employee of the capitol and a relative of former governor Zacaria Candao, the letter added.
The letter said the Ampatuans kill people for fun as if they were hunting their prey for sport.
“These are only few of the cruel acts the governor and his family members had done,” read the letter
“These days, human rights have died in this face of the earth (sic).”
The letter also talked about alleged misuse of government funds in Maguindanao, purportedly by the Ampatuan family.
Government projects in the province are funded out of the governor’s pork barrel and those of close relatives in the House of Representatives, not from provincial revenues, which are for the governor’s “personal aggrandizement,” the letter added.
The letter said the governor expends the resources of the provincial government “like his own wealth and properties,” and allegedly buys personal luxury cars “as often as he wishes” and builds mansions and houses in various cities.
“The people’s eyes are deceived with some developments scarcely sprouting in selected few places in the province,” read the letter.
The letter said that the provincial government bought earth-moving equipment used in the governor’s vast agricultural lands and properties allegedly grabbed from the people.
Development funds from line government agencies are released on condition of sharing portions or in exchange for favors, the letter added.
The letter said the Ampatuans had allegedly organized private armies under the guise of Civilian Volunteer Organizations (CVOs), Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Units (Cafgu), and auxiliaries.
The private armies were armed with around 600 assorted firearms for use of the Army and police, the letter added.
The letter said the private armies were being used by the Ampatuans “to fight for their grudges and run after their political foes.”
“The people in ARMM are really in deep frustrations,” read the letter. Towards the end of the letter, the concerned people’s organization asked Mrs. Arroyo “to put an end to this chaos regime and save the lives of the people.”
“Help us for the truth to prevail and have our caring leaders (sic),” read the letter.
“After all, not only this region will benefit from our long awaited and dreamed peace, but also the national leadership will have at least peace of mind and focus to economic progress (sic).”
Aquino: Hold Ampatuans liable for unexplained wealth
Sen. Benigno Aquino III has joined other senators in urging the government to make the Ampatuans accountable for unexplained wealth.
In a statement, Aquino said the military raids in Maguindanao have recovered not just high-caliber firearms but a fleet of luxury vehicles of the Ampatuans.
“The question is, where did all this wealth come from?” read the statement
“As public servants, Governor Ampatuan and the rest of his family must answer to the people for amassing a suspicious amount of wealth while in power.”
Aquino said the statement of assets, liabilities and net worth of Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr. for 2002 showed only a net worth of P11 million.
“While the Ampatuans wallow in splendor and grandeur, their constituents suffer the hardship of squalor and poverty that is prevalent in the third poorest province in the country,” read the statement.
Aquino said the Department of Justice and the Office of the Ombudsman must investigate the apparent ill-gotten wealth of the Ampatuans
Report fromMichael Punongbayan, Katherine Adraneda, Aurea Calica - By Non Alquitran
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