Ampatuan Massacre Update: Mangudadatu to put up memorial for massacre victims

COTABATO CITY, Philippines—Maguindanao governor-elect Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu said he would put up a statue for the 57 people, including at least 30 journalists, who were killed in Ampatuan town, Maguindanao nearly six months ago.

Mangudadatu said the statue would rise on the very site where the bodies of the victims were recovered.

The victims, some women, were in a convoy on their way to the Maguindanao provincial capitol in Shariff Aguak town on November 23 to file Mangudadatu’s certificate of candidacy when they were waylaid by armed men, allegedly led by Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr.

Based on police findings, the victims were herded from the highway to Sitio Masalay in Barangay Salman, Ampatuan town and executed there.

The bullet-riddled bodies were discovered one after the other, some buried along with their vehicles using a government-owned backhoe.

Andal Jr. and some of the members of the Ampatuan clan have since been detained either as main suspects or accomplices.

Mangudadatu said the statue would not only serve as a reminder of the gory incident. “It will also serve as testament to the newly-found freedom of the people of Maguindanao,” he said.

Mangudadatu, who was proclaimed governor, was seen as an alternative to the iron-hand reign of the Ampatuans in the resource-rich but highly-impoverished province.

He said his governance would be participatory wherein the people of the 36-town province would have a say.

Mangudadatu also said he was not bound to be vindictive and that he wanted to mend fences with his political enemies.

Former Sultan Kudarat Representative Pax Mangudadatu said his nephew’s government thrust was in the right direction.

He said only the guilty should be punished. “Let’s punish the guilty because I believe not all the Ampatuans are involved in the massacre,” the elder Mangudadatu said.

“The key to development is peace and reconciliation. There can never be peace and harmony if we are divided. Our people have suffered a lot from never-ending atrocities and armed confrontation,” Mangudadatu agreed.

Ismael Mastura, Mangudadatu’s running mate in the elections, said as vice governor, one of his jobs was to help push Mangudadatu’s peace initiatives.

Mangudadatu said he would tap the services of teachers, the religious and the media in the reconciliation process.

He said peace dialogues and spiritual renewal activities would also be conducted to address the cycle of violence in the province.

Most cases of violence in Maguindanao where many people own firearms were blamed on family feuds or rido.

Advertisement