Ampatuan nephew arrested; 19 more clan members to go

MANILA, Philippines –  A man reported to be a nephew of former Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr., accused of masterminding the Nov. 23, 2009 massacre of 57 persons, was arrested Wednesday in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao province, police said yesterday.

Chief Superintendent Benito Estipona, director of Task Force Maguindanao, said Tumi Timba Abas, alias Guiamil, is the 88th accused arrested and has a P300,000 bounty on his head. He said police are hunting 19 more members of the Ampatuan clan tagged in the massacre.

Court records show that among the accused are two former mayors, Banjarin Ampatuan and Saudi Ampatuan Jr.; a former vice mayor, Kanor Ampatuan; and two rookie policemen, Police Officers 1 Dukoy Badal and Alfie Pagabangan. The eight other clan members implicated in the massacre are Harris, Ipi, Kagi Amar, Mama, Moning, Tony Kenis, and Ulo, all surnamed Ampatuan.

Other relatives of the Ampatuans being hunted by the police include Nasser Adam, Hadji Mogira Angulat, Hamid Delayudin, Jagi Faizal, Parido Zangkala Gogo, Tammy Masukat, and Jun Pendatun.

Superintendent Jacinto Malinao, chief of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, said Abas’ identity was confirmed by Mannie Mama Ali, a councilman of Barangay Awang.

Meanwhile, two women broke down as photographs of their murdered relatives were flashed in the courtroom during yesterday’s hearing of the Maguindanao massacre case.

Lawyer Ma. Gemma Oquendo attempted to hold back tears but gave in at some point as a medico-legal officer described photos taken of the crime scene, one of which bore the image of her sister, Cynthia Oquendo-Ayon, with a gunshot wound in her face.

Ayon, who was then gubernatorial candidate Esmael Mangudadatu’s lawyer, joined the convoy that was blocked in Sitio Masalay on Nov. 23, 2009. “Difficult is an understatement. Hard is an understatement,” Oquendo told reporters after the hearing at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221.

Though it has been more than a year, Oquendo said she still loses her composure whenever she is shown photos of the massacre, wherein she also lost her father, Catalino. Clad in an all-black attire, she said she does not know how long she will be wearing black, her “favorite color” since the massacre.

Myrna Reblando, widow of slain correspondent Bong Reblando, also broke down in the courtroom as a photograph of her husband’s bloodied face was flashed on the projector. At first, Myrna was quietly sobbing from the gallery, but when Dr. Raymond Cabling was asked about the man’s identity, Myrna started weeping and prosecutors tried to calm her down.

‘Heavier’ bullets used

Also during yesterday’s hearing, Cabling pointed to a bullet found on the floor of the van where many of the bodies had been stuffed. He said the bullet’s green tip was a “very distinctive feature,” adding that it was “heavier” than an ordinary one.

“If we’ll study the ballistics (of the bullet), the kinetic energy being transferred to the body… is greater. It causes a devastating gunshot wound,” he said.

Cabling said the crime scene could be around 1,000 square meters, but added that this was a conservative estimate and the site could be bigger.         – With Reinir Padua