Witness: Andal Jr. shot Mangudadatu's wife dead

MANILA, Philippines - A former ally of the Ampatuan clan who has turned state witness in the ongoing trial of the 2009 Maguindanao massacre on Wednesday testified of having personally witnessed how Andal “Datu Unsay” Ampatuan Jr. had shot dead the victims, including the wife of now Maguindanao Governor Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu.

Taking the stand at the continuing hearing of the case by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 under Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes, state witness and former Sultan Sabarongis vice mayor Sukarno Badal said he personally saw Ampatuan Jr. shoot the victims, including Mangudadatu’s wife Bai Genalyn. Mangudadatu was the vice mayor of Buluan town in Maguindanao when the massacre happened.

Badal told the court that he was with Andal Jr. at the massacre site in Sitio Masalay, Ampatuan town where the victims were brought after their convoy was blocked along the highway on their way to Shariff Aguak.

Armed men blocked the convoy and prevented the filing of Mangudadatu’s certificate of candidacy as Maguindanao governor allegedly on orders of the accused members of the Ampatuan clan.

“Nagkatinginan si Datu Unsay at si Datu Kanor (Ampatuan) tapos tinulak si Bai Genalyn (Mangudadatu’s wife) at si Bai Gigi at sabay pinutukan na sila,” Badal said during his presentation by State Prosecutor Aristotle Reyes.

Badal also identified Datu Nords, Datu Pandag, Datu Bahnarin and Datu Ulo, all members of the Ampatuan clan as among those who also joined Ampatuan Jr. and Datu Kanor in shooting the victims.

Badal said he also saw accused Moktar Daud, Nasrudin Esmael and Misuari Ampatuan as among those who also joined the shooting.

A total of 58 victims were killed in the massacre, including 32 print and broadcast journalists who joined the convoy to cover the filing of Mangudadatu’s certificate of candidacy.

Badal also testified having seen former Maguindanao police provincial chief, Chief Inspector Sukarno Dicay, as among those present in several meetings held by the accused Ampatuan clan members prior to the massacre.

Badal said the first meeting was held on July 20, 2009 at the Century Park Sheraton Hotel attended by the clan’s patriarch, Andal Sr.,  Andal Jr., and former Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao  Governor Zaldy Ampatuan. Two other meetings on November 16, 2009 and November 21, 2009 allegedly took place in Maguindanao.

Badal, previously an accused in the case, surrendered to authorities in 2010. He has been placed under the government’s Witness Protection Program and turned state witness.

Meanwhile, Badal revealed to the court that after the massacre, he accompanied Andal Jr. as they fled towards the mountain barangay of Limpongo, where he said Andal Jr. changed his bloodied shirt for a clean one.

“Si Datu Unsay nagpalit ng damit kasi puno ng dugo ang damit nya,” he said.

Badal said they were joined at the barangay by Datu Kanor, Datu Bahnarim, Datu Akmad, Datu Anas and about 400 gunmen.

“Dun sa barangay Limpongo sumakay si Datu Unsay sa kabayo, tapos nahulog po siya ng magwala ng kabayo so naghanap po kami ng ibang sasakyan tapos pumunta na sa bundok ng Limpongo at dun na nagtago,” he said.

Badal said Andal Jr. stayed in the mountain barangay for about three hours before he was fetched by another group. Badal said he stayed behind at the barangay.

He earlier testified that former ARMM governor Zaldy Ampatuan was supposed to carry out a plot to kill Mangudadatu should he decide to file his candidacy in Manila.

Badal added that Zaldy’s father, Andal Sr., was to execute a similar plan in Maguindanao, while former ARMM solicitor general Cynthia Sayadi and ex-Maguindanao provincial administrator Norie Unas were to execute a similar plan in Cotabato City.

Mangudadatu however decided to file his candidacy in Shariff Aguak in Maguindanao on Nov. 23, 2009 and sent his wife, relatives, lawyers, and aides to file his certificate of candidacy as candidate in the Maguindanao gubernatorial race against the Ampatuan clan.