Rival Politian charged with Philippines Massacre

The Philippine prosecutors charged the son of a powerful political party with the massacre of 57 people in the Philippines. Over half the murdered were journalists or staff who were beside the families and supporters of a rival election candidate.

According to reports, at least 10 witnesses will testify against Andal Ampatuan Jr who gave himself up to the authorities and denied all charges. He is being kept at the National Bureau of Investigation detention cell in Manila.

The witnesses say they saw Andal Ampatuan Jr leading the gunmen and saw police officers, who blocked his rival’s election convoy moments before the massacre,

Hours later, troops found the bullet-riddled and hacked bodies near the road scattered in the grass and buried in three mass graves.

7 members of Ampatuan’s family are also suspected of aiding the massacre including his father but are not charged.

Police said earlier they took into custody six officers, including the Maguindanao provincial police chief and his deputy. Two inspectors among them were allegedly seen during the massacre with Ampatuan, said Erickson Velasquez, head of the criminal investigation division.

“The evidence is strong,” Calica said, adding that at least 10 witnesses provided written testimonies linking Ampatuan to the killings.

He said three of them were in the convoy carrying journalists and the wife, two sisters, an aunt and several supporters of Ampatuan’s rival, vice-mayor Esmael Mangudadatu of Maguindanao’s Buluan township.

Mangudadatu had sent his relatives to file his candidacy papers for governorship. Mangudadatu said Ampatuan had threatened to chop him to pieces if he attempted to challenge the Ampatuan family’s control over the province. So, Mangudadatu sent female family members in the belief they would not be harmed.

Police cars were parked along the road as the gunmen led the victims in their vehicles to a remote hilltop where they were butchered, Calica said.

The graves were dug in advance and a backhoe positioned to bury the bodies, prosecutors said.

The Ampatuans denied any responsibility in the killings in a rare news conference in Shariff Aguak on Sunday.