Husband recalls Maguindanao massacre victim's last messages

MANILA, Philippines - A man whose wife and father-in-law were among those killed in the 2009 Maguindanao massacre, told the court yesterday about the last text messages he received from his wife as she traveled with the ill-fated Mangudadatu convoy.

In a hearing at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221, Dennis Ayon, 38, said he received seven text messages from his wife, lawyer Cynthia Oquendo-Ayon, on Nov. 23, 2009. He broke down several times as he testified during yesterday’s court hearing.

Dennis identified a maroon cell phone presented as evidence in court as the one that belonged to his slain wife. The cell phone was recovered from the massacre site and later turned over to Cynthia’s family. Dennis said they tried to turn on the cell phone several times to see if any messages could have been saved.

He said that on Nov. 23, 2009, Cynthia sent text messages to inform him about the developments of her trip with the Mangudadatu family, who were supposed to file then Buluan vice mayor Esmael Mangudadatu’s certificate of candidacy for Maguindanao governor.

Dennis said his wife had been hired by the Mangudadatus during the 2007 elections.

According to Dennis, he received the last text message from his wife at around 9:54 a.m., saying they were at Ampatuan town near Shariff Aguak.

At 1 p.m., he received confirmation from his in-laws that among those killed in the massacre were Cynthia and her father, Catalino Oquendo. He later saw his wife’s body in a funeral parlor in Koronadal, South Cotabato, her legs riddled with wounds.

Dennis said that on Nov. 25, the bodies of his wife and father-in-law were examined and autopsied, then brought to their house.