many groups oppose martial law in maguindanao – martial law has no basis

we are printing here the voices of many groups who are opposed to the declaration of martial law im maguindanao. many of these groups are saying martial law was an over-kill, unnecessary with the country having enough laws to achieve the stated goals and it has no legal basis.

“The official, unanimous position is we see no legal and factual basis for martial law,” De Lima told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in a text message, following an emergency meeting by the CHR commissioners en banc Sunday morning.

De Lima said the CHR’s opposition to President Macapagal-Arroyo’s martial rule in the province was “because of its serious repercussions on the human rights situation in the area.”

read in full here: CHR chief sees no legal basis for martial law

The outspoken rector of the Bacolod Diocese’s San Sebastian Cathedral called on the Filipino people to stand up and oppose President Macapagal-Arroyo’s declaration of martial law in Maguindanao because it would set a dangerous precedent for the entire nation.

“President Gloria Arroyo is person obsessed and addicted to power, and absolute power corrupts absolutely, so martial law in her hands is very dangerous,” Fr. Felix Pasquin said.

There is no legal basis for the President to declare martial law, and it is also immoral,” Pasquin said, adding that it was an overreaction to the situation in Maguindanao.

read in full here: Priest slams Arroyo’s martial law

 

The Supreme Court disputed the government’s contention that the court system in Maguindanao was no longer functioning, one of the stated reasons for declaring martial law in the Central Mindanao province.

Lawyers, lawyers’ groups, Church prelates and the Commission on Human Rights also disputed whether the constitutional basis for declaring martial law—invasion or rebellion—was present in the Maguindanao situation.

Midas Marquez, the high court’s deputy administrator and spokesperson, said the cases involving the Maguindanao massacre that were filed before the Cotabato courts were moving forward.

He said it was the search warrants issued by the Kidapawan Regional Trial Court that made possible the police raids on the residences of Ampatuan family members, the suspected perpetrators of the massacre.

“This is far from a picture of a non-performing judicial system,” said Marquez.

read in full here: Supreme Court: No basis for martial law

Senators Benigno Aquino III, Alan Peter Cayetano, Francis Escudero, Panfilo Lacson, Loren Legarda, Jamby Madrigal and Francis Pangilinan separately questioned the President’s action which, Malacañang had said, was needed to quell a “rebellion in the offing” by forces loyal to the powerful Arroyo ally, the Ampatuan clan.

In a press conference late Saturday afternoon, Senators Aquino and Mar Roxas, the Liberal Party’s presidential and vice presidential candidates in 2010, said they were prepared to challenge the declaration of martial law before the Supreme Court.

read in full here: Senators oppose Arroyo’s martial law proclamation

maguindanao – the wealthy ampatuans rule over squalor and poverty

we are printing in full here this article, it  says maguindanao is the 2nd poorest province in the country and yet the ampatuans, their family members controlling practically all of maguindabao live in wealth and comfort.

Wealthy Ampatuans rule over squalor
By Cecil Morella
Agence France-Presse
First Posted 14:51:00 12/06/2009

SHARIFF AGUAK— Ulambay Sinsuat was grilling fish when armed troops poured into a pair of palatial homes near her hovel and detained two of the most powerful men in the southern Philippines.

As dawn turned to day, Sinsuat watched hundreds of residents flee when they realized Maguindanao province had been placed under martial rule following an election-linked massacre of 57 people blamed on the region’s ruling clan.

The troops’ targets were the clan’s chief and provincial governor Andal Ampatuan Sr, as well as one of his sons Zaldy Ampatuan, the head of a larger Muslim autonomous area in the southern Philippines.

But Sinsuat, a 44-year-old fishmonger, did not have the luxury of fleeing the provincial capital of Shariff Aguak on Saturday, illustrating a miserable rich-poor divide that critics say the Ampatuans perpetuated in Maguindanao.

“We can’t leave because we don’t have money,” Sinsuat told AFP as flies swarmed around her grilled carp and mudfish that lay unsold in the town’s near-deserted public market.

“We live just behind Governor Zaldy’s mansion. The smoke from grilling the fish would sometimes waft into his backyard. But our house is tiny, it’s just a hut.”

The Ampatuans’ mansions, with their huge courtyards containing fleets of pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, are rare monuments to wealth in Maguindanao, officially ranked the country’s second poorest province.

The province is situated on one of the most fertile river valleys in the country, but it has no signs of industry or economic activity except for tiny farm plots and small public markets.

The roads that branch off from the main national highway, where sheep and geese cross, are rutted or unpaved, even though the local government receives and is meant to disburse tens of millions of dollars in tax revenues.

The Philippines’ economic planning ministry says 63 percent of Maguindanao’s population of 711,000 are poor, with 342,000 residents earning less than one dollar a day.

The area has been ruled virtually unchallenged by the Ampatuan patriarch for nine years, and he installed many of his relatives into top provincial posts during a reign critics say was characterized by violence and fear.

Sixteen out of the 22 towns have mayors belonging to the Ampatuan clan, with lesser posts also occupied by relatives and allies.

The national government, the clan’s close allies until the November 23 massacre, now accuse it of using state funds to arm hundreds of militia members, some of whom allegedly took part in the killings.

One clan member, Andal Ampatuan Jr, has been charged with 25 counts of murder and police have filed indictment papers saying the clan leaders detained in their mansions on Saturday should also be charged.

The nation’s human rights commissioner, Leila de Lima, said the Ampatuans’ reputation as warlords was widely known well before the massacre, which was allegedly carried out to stop a rival from running for governor next year.

Raids in Maguindanao following the declaration of martial law on Friday night have uncovered a stunning array of weapons and ammunition that the government insists the Ampatuans illegally amassed.

Documents that could show the Ampatuans rigged elections may also have been uncovered.

“We dug up bandoleers (shoulder belts for bullets) and documents over there yesterday,” said Private First Class Domingo Igat, pointing to a huge Ampatuan-owned warehouse across the road from the Shariff Aguak municipal hall.

“They included voters’ registration forms, voters’ identification cards. They tried to burn them before they buried them, but not all the documents were burnt.”

The Ampatuans had been close allies of President Gloria Arroyo and members of her ruling coalition for many years.

Their support helped Arroyo win the 2004 presidential election against popular movie star Fernando Poe, amid widespread allegations of poll cheating in Maguindanao.

The Ampatuans were expelled from the coalition only in the wake of the massacre and revelations of the clan’s activities in the media.

martial law declared in maguindanao – maguindanao massacre aftermath

click here to read article: Martial law declared in Maguindanao

with martial law declared in maguindanao the speed of justice will perhaps move faster and more will be arrested. there are 100+ killers that particiaped in the maguindanao massacre, so far only 3 suspects, all ampatuans have been arrested.

we think martial law is an over-kill and unnecessary – we have enough laws and government agencies working on the case to get everyone arrested but they are just moving too slow. we don’t know why but the results are just not coming in as fast i think the victims deserve. 

let us hope that with martial law, things will move much faster.

Memo To: Gloria Macapagal Arroyo – fire Lorelei Fajardo, the Maguindanao Massacre aftermath

dear ms. arroyo,

you may have not noticed it yet, but this must be one of the most shocking faux pax in philippine PR history – lorelei fajardo, your own deputy spokesperson just put as “friends” with the ampatuan family, today’s most hated family, evil personfied. the ampatuans are the primary suspects in one of the country’s most gruesome mass murder.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is maintaining her ties with the powerful Ampatuans despite their expulsion from the ruling party and the filing of multiple murder charges against one of them in connection with the Nov. 23 massacre of at least 57 people in Maguindanao province.

“I don’t think the President’s friendship with the Ampatuans will be severed,” Lorelei Fajardo, her deputy spokesperson, told reporters Thursday in Filipino. “Just because they’re in this situation doesn’t mean we will turn our backs on them.”

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20091127-238660/Palace-says-Arroyo-wont-cut-ties-with-Ampatuans

spokespersons aside from being your voice to media are supposed to be good at turning negatives into at least neutral if not positive (“spin”) and /or putting you in a good light.

that statement of fajardo does not do any of it. in fact what it did was the exact opposite – it has associated you with the country’s biggest negative  in history and it put you in a very bad light.

mrs. president, fajardo just said you are friends with evil!

it is really very hard to understand why fajardo will ever think what she said was anything good in any way.

her intent was to uphold the value of “loyalty to friends”? to paint a picture of you as someone who sticks to her friends, no matter what.

while she was upholding loyalty to friendship, what about the value of human life, 57 of them allegedly taken by the ampatuans? what about torture, rape and the wholesale killings of the innocent? fajardo does not find these to be more important than “loyalty to friends”?

you are the president of the country, certainly the set of values or your priorities in life should always be biased towards our laws, the constitution and what is best for the greater good.

what fajordo said is the exact opposite of what you are supposed to be. in its most bare essence, her job is supposed to be good things if not great things; good vibes if not admiration and what sounds right if not what is right. fajardo did not do any of that in her statement.

now we are wondering what is lorelei fajardo’s job when she said that? is her job (a) to spin what is bad into at least neutral if not good or (b) is she being true to her role as your spokesperson.

what we have written here so far is on the first one, letter (a).  so we now ask – did fajardo say the real you?

we would strongly recommend that you fire lorelei fajardo from her job before she causes you more damage. the saying – “with friends like fajardo, who needs enemies?”

sincerely yours, 

~wawam~

maguindanao massacre: backhoe operator is named – Hanid Delayudin

this man, HANID DELAYUDIN, reportedly the backhoe operator is of particular interest to us. i think the backhoe operator in this mass murder crime is one of the most evil among them.

he was tasked to hide the evidence and proceeded to dig earth and bury the dead, including the vehicles the victims rode in.

i know this is being asked of all the killers, but i think this question has special meaning for this man – how could he have done what he did?

how can a man with a soul scoop up 57 dead bodies and bury them? did he think it was part of his job, just another day at work? how much was he paid to do his job during the day? is there a price that can compensate for such a task?

we hope the authorities catch up with him very soon. we would like to know how he looks like. we want to see his eyes to see for ourselves the eyes of evil.

Backhoe operator in Maguindanao massacre named
By Abigail Kwok
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 16:01:00 11/27/2009

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE) Police identified Friday the supposed operator of the backhoe found at the crime scene that was reportedly used to dig shallow graves for the more than 50 victims of the carnage in Maguindanao province.

Senior Superintendent Ericson Velasquez, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detective Division, identified the operator as Hanid Delayudin, who remains missing as of this time.

Based on their interview with Engineer Landap Gunaid, the provincial engineer of Maguindanao, Velasquez said Delayudin failed to report to work on Tuesday, a day after the killings.

Because of this, Delayudin, a regular employee at the provincial engineer’s office, is now considered a suspect, Devanadera said.

“He was the assigned operator of the backhoe for that day. He has a lot to explain. Malaki ang maitutulong niya kung lulutang siya at magpapaliwanag kung bakit andun ang backhoe niya [He will be a great help if he will surface to explain why his backhoe was there],” Velasquez told reporters.

Based on records of the Maguindanao provincial engineer’s office, the backhoe found at the crime scene has been issued out since November 4 for a project in the area and was supposed to be returned on November 20, a Friday. The killings happened on Monday.http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20091127-238727/Backhoe-operator-in-Maguindanao-massacre-named

maguindanao massacre – the evil done to the victims, how the victims were tortured and killed

“Even the private parts of the women were shot at. It was horrible. It was not done to just one. It was done practically to all the women,” Devanadera said on GMA Network.

“The zippers of their pants were all undone. We have yet to determine whether they were raped. But it is certain that something bad was done to them.”

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20091127-238713/Massacre-women-victims-shot-in-genitalsDoJ-chief

The group was massacred in a mountainous area, said “Boy,” adding that all the slain women were raped, and the journalists who were part of the convoy, also killed so that no one would talk about the incident.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20091126-238535/Massacre-witness-surfaces-tags-Ampatuan

“Boy” said the whole process lasted little more than an hour before they abruptly abandoned the scene following a warning that members of the military were nearby, the report added.

“We didn’t get to finish, which is why the excavator was left there,” he said. “Someone called and said soldiers were on their way. I feel they have connections among the soldiers.”

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20091126-238535/Massacre-witness-surfaces-tags-Ampatuan

maguindanao massacre – the bullshit shoved in our mouths or do they really think we are all idiots? read here BS #2 – both ampatuans and mangudadatus are allies

no, we are not referring to the gruesome and evil pictures of the victims of the maguindanao massacre. those pictures are a reality that we must all see to keep reminding us that we need to be strong and we need to stay with it until we get justice for the victims. it is only right that we all puke out of seeing those pictures or she tears or offer a prayer for the victims. every puke we do, every tear and every prayer we say will get us closer to pushing the philippine government to finish the job they are mandated to do and the cry of all citizens – make the arrests, get them to court and punish them!

the bullshit that we see being shoved into our mouths are the things we read in the newspapers as to what the government is saying and doing. well, they are not doing much to solve the crime but they are actually doing and saying a lot in shoving BS into our mouths.

we will expose it here and i think after you read them, you will ask the question – do they really think we are all idiots?

read and tell us what you think.

bullshit  #2: “the ampatuans and the mangudadatus are both allies of the president“.  that is malacanang’s standard answer to the question – is malacanang treating the suspects, the alampuans who are known allies and supporters of arroyo with favor?

that answer is an answer devised by a PR practitioner or a crisis management expert. malacanang is on crisis management mode. the role of the crisis management expert or consultant is to devise strategies part of which is crafting answers to questions.

that answer to that question was said by two malacanang officials – cerge remonde on CNN and ermita in a separate interview. it is obvious that the crisis management consultant has coined the answer.

the intent of the answer is to deflect the question, make it appear like they are answering the question but in truth they are not but it has the effect of the issue being put down to rest by the interviewer. it succeeded on that point of view as the interviewers no longer pursued the point after the answer was given.

that is BS #2 they shoved in our mouths. let us know and post your comments – do they really think we are all idiots?  

 

maguindanao massacre – how the victims were killed

we thought for a long time whether we should start this post. we ended up deciding, yes we need to do a post like this. we think its important for all of us to understand what happened during the magindanao massacre so that it will strengthen our desire to not let this pass.

we are hoping that if we understand what happened, we will understand better why we must persist and demand justice for the victims from the philippine government.

Esmael Mangudadatu Jr :

“My wife’s private parts were slashed four times, after which they fired a bullet into it,” he added.”They speared both of her eyes, shot both her breasts, cut off her feet, fired into her mouth. I could not begin to describe the manner by which they treated her.”

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20091125-238296/Arroyo-vows-justice-as-massacre-toll-hits-57

They were shot at close range, some with their hands tied behind their backs, and dumped or buried in shallow graves on a remote farming road close to a town bearing the Ampatuan name.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20091125-238296/Arroyo-vows-justice-as-massacre-toll-hits-57

“It’s difficult to take what had happened to my brother. Only animals can do such a cruel act. Justice is all we need,” Allan said.

Bal’s body was riddled with bullets in the head, stomach and leg.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20091125-238371/Kin-grieve-over-massacre-victims

Five of the convoy’s blood-spattered and bullet-riddled vehicles were found on Monday alongside an unpaved farm road near many of the bodies, said Chief Superintendent Felicisimo Khu, the top police forensics official on the scene.

The final car was also found close by on Wednesday in a hastily dug grave alongside 11 freshly discovered bodies, Khu said.

But police also unearthed a sedan and a second van, neither of which was part of the convoy and which were owned by residents of the area who had no affiliation to the politicians or journalists, according to Khu.

“The car and the second van were not part of the convoy,” Khu said. “They just happened to drive past.”

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20091125-238354/Passing-motorists-among-massacre-victims

A few kilometers off the main highway, on a remote hilltop covered with waist-high grass, bodies lay with twisted hands reaching in the air. They had been shot point-blank.

Nearby, cadavers were being laid out under banana leaves on Tuesday as police—their faces covered against the stench—unearthed a mass grave containing 22 victims from Monday’s ambush on an election caravan.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20091126-238426/Maguindanao-massacre-death-toll-climbs-to-57

Police, aided by a backhoe, worked most of Tuesday to extricate the bodies from the mass grave. All had been shot multiple times and were dumped on top of one another. One was a pregnant woman.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20091126-238426/Maguindanao-massacre-death-toll-climbs-to-57

“Anyone from the Mangudadatu clan – women or children – should be killed… We don’t ask why, we just followed orders,” the witness who identified himself as “Boy” told Al-Jazeera correspondent Marga Ortigas in an interview posted on the network’s website Thursday.

“Boy” said that the orders came directly from Andal Ampatuan Jr., Datu Unsay mayor, and whose family was also an ally of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20091126-238535/Massacre-witness-surfaces-tags-Ampatuan

december 5, 2009 – view new pictures posted in this blog.

WARNING: these are gruesome pictures, view at your own risk

click here to view new pictures: maguindanao massacre photos. warning: gruesome photos, view at your own risk

Maguindanao Massacre – your message to President Arroyo & the philippine govrnment

messages for president arroyo is starting to appear in this blog. we are starting this post where you can post your messages that you want president arroyo and others in the philippine government to read. we will be posting them here in the main post as we receive them.

Gem Myck:
madam President please please lang kumilos naman kayo…di yung tago ka ng tago sa palasyo mo o di kaya pa iba-ibang bansa ka pa..ano ganyan nlang ba yang ampatuan masaker…kawawa naman yung mga kamag anak ng biktima dito …ehhh kung sa inyo mangyari tong karahasan na to…God Bless nlang sa mga Mangudadatu…

amaptuan:
Dear Ampatuan Family,

MGA PUTANG INA NIYO!! MGA BAKLA! BAYOT! HINDOT! MGA IYUDIPUTAH! MGA MALILIIT ANG TITI! MGA KUPAL! MGA GAGO! KUMAKANTOT NG MANOK, ASO SAKA KALABAW! DAPAT SA INYO DALHIN DITO SA MAYNILA TAPOS IGAPOS SA PLAZA PARA BATUHIN NG TAONG BAYAN TAPOS SAKA BALATAN NG BUHAY TAPOS BUHUSAN NG SUKA AT BUHUSAN NG ASUKAL AT LANGGAM PAG BUHAY PA SUNUGIN, PAG BUHAY PA RIN IPASAGASA SA PISON PAG BUHAY PA RIN ILAGAY SA GILINGAN PAG BUHAY PA RIN IPAKAIN NA LANG SA BABOY!!

Nagmamahal,

Karding

ramborat:
PARA SA ATING PRESIDENTENG KAPAMPANGANG ASO!!! UNG TUTA MONG NAGBEBENTA NG DVD PAGSABIHAN MO AT NASOBRAHAN ATA SA KAPANGYARIHAN!!!

jasper santos:
Mahal na Pangulong GMA ano po nangyayari sa ating bansa, Amputa!

breaking news: suspects in maguindanao massacre arrested

finally, on day 4 some action has been taken. this is good!

something funny here though – the PNP chief DOES NOT KNOW how many were arrested and who were arrested. hahaha.

well, okay, we will not bitch about that. it is strange, don’t you think? for such a high profile case, the PNP chief does not know the details of the case. for something as big and as high profile as this, if you were in the field, wouldn’t you take time to fax the names of the suspects to the PNP chief???

 

Suspects in Maguindanao slays arrested—PNP chief 
 Agence France-Presse
First Posted 07:59:00 11/26/2009

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE) Several gunmen linked to a powerful Philippine politician were arrested Thursday over the election-related massacre of at least 57 people, the country’s police chief said.

“We don’t have an exact number [of those arrested], but our policemen in the area have arrested several,” national police Director General Jesus Verzosa said on dzBB radio.

He identified the suspects as militiamen under the control of Andal Ampatuan Jr., who is accused of masterminding Monday’s killings in the southern province of Maguindanao.

“Andal Ampatuan Jr. is a suspect. He has sent feelers and Secretary Dureza will accompany him to submit to an investigation,” Verzosa said, referring to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s adviser on the southern island of Mindanao.

read here: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20091126-238472/Gunmen-in-Maguindanao-massacre-arrestedPNP-chief

maguindanao massacre – the bullshit shoved in our mouths or do they really think we are all idiots? read here BS #1 – malacanang official talks to suspect

no, we are not referring to the gruesome and evil pictures of the victims of the maguindanao massacre. those pictures are a reality that we must all see to keep reminding us that we need to be strong and we need to stay with it until we get justice for the victims. it is only right that we all puke out of seeing those pictures or she tears or offer a prayer for the victims. every puke we do, every tear and every prayer we say will get us closer to pushing the philippine government to finish the job they are mandated to do and the cry of all citizens – make the arrests, get them to court and punish them!

the bullshit that we see being shoved into our mouths are the things we read in the newspapers as to what the government is saying and doing. well, they are not doing much to solve the crime but they are actually doing and saying a lot in shoving BS into our mouths.

we will expose it here and i think after you read them, you will ask the question – do they really think we are all idiots?

read and tell us what you think.

Bullshit # 1. Jesus Dureza,  presidential adviser on Mindanao met with the  ampatuan family on tuesday afternoon, November 24 the day the news on the massacre broke out in media and just one day after the massacre. PDI reports: “The meeting, held at the Ampatuan residence in Shariff Aguak, was attended by ARMM Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan, Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr., and Datu Unsay town mayor Andal Jr.”

what the hell was that for?

why would a malacanang official talk to the alleged suspect? and talk to them very quickly, within 24 hours of the massacre?!! 

what were the objectives of the meeting? what was he supposed to do there? what did they talk about and on whose order?

jesus dureza

Andal Jr. was accused of leading the armed men who abducted and killed at least 52 people in Ampatuan town on Monday. The victims were on their way to Shariff Aguak town to file the certificate of candidacy of Buluan town vice mayor Esmael Mangudadatu, who has expressed intention run for governor, a post long held by the Ampatuans, in the 2010 elections.

But Dureza said there was no talk about if indeed Andal Jr. did what he has been accused of.

“I did not ask him that. I went there to tell them about the creation of the Crisis Management Committee, and about the investigation,” Dureza said.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20091125-238317/Dureza-meeting-with-Ampatuans-questioned

when a crime is committed and you have suspect/s identified, you immediately send the police to interrogate the suspects EVEN if you do not yet have evidence. the fact is the family of the victim, esmael mangudadatu has already identified the ampatuan family as suspects in the massacre, sending dureza who seemed to have performed the function of a diplomat does not make sense. you do not send a diplomat, you send the police!

they sent dureza to talk to the ampatuans  fairly quickly, within 24 hours of the incident. that can mean dureza could have told the ampatuans what the game plan and strategies are that the ampatuans and/or the government will take on the issue and accusations. something like they felt it was necessary to get their acts together as early as 24 hours after the massacre to help ensure no errors are made or both parties, the government and the ampatuans act the same and say the same things. it could have been a strategy and action planning.

that is BS #1 they shoved in our mouths. let us know and post your comments – do they really think we are all idiots?  

read PDI article here: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20091125-238317/Dureza-meeting-with-Ampatuans-questioned

more maguindanao massacre photos – justice for the victims!

december 5, 2009 – view new pictures posted in this blog.

WARNING: these are gruesome pictures, view at your own risk 

click here to view new pictures: maguindanao massacre photos. warning: gruesome photos, view at your own risk

we have opened a facebook account, “We Strongly Condemn The Maguindanao Massacre”, link : http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=180487758398#/group.php?gid=180487758398&ref=search&sid=100000039214666.839553270..1

please join us.

Esmael Mangudadatu Jr :

“My wife’s private parts were slashed four times, after which they fired a bullet into it,” he added.”They speared both of her eyes, shot both her breasts, cut off her feet, fired into her mouth. I could not begin to describe the manner by which they treated her.”

read more here: how the maguindanao massacre victims were killed – gruesome and evil

sources: BBC, PDI anf other news media outlets.

maguindanao massacre photos – we grieve, we are ashamed, we will not let this pass

we are publishing photos of the maguindanao massacre here to remind ourselves of what evil in men can do to others and why we should all make a stand and demand that our government find justice for the victims swiftly and comprehensively.

we should not let this pass.

december 5, 2009 – view new pictures posted in this blog.

WARNING: these are gruesome pictures, view at your own risk

click here to view new pictures: maguindanao massacre photos. warning: gruesome photos, view at your own risk

view more new photos here: more maguindanao massacre photos – justice for the victims!

 

Esmael Mangudadatu Jr :

“My wife’s private parts were slashed four times, after which they fired a bullet into it,” he added.”They speared both of her eyes, shot both her breasts, cut off her feet, fired into her mouth. I could not begin to describe the manner by which they treated her.”

read more here: how the maguindanao massacre victims were killed – gruesome and evil

photo sources from the newswires from the internet – AP, xinxua and other media organizations.

the Maguindanao Massacre – “GMA dared: Get Ampatuans”. why do we even have to dare arroyo? isn’t that her job?

from what i remember, the job of president of this country has with it the responsibility, in fact the sworn duty to uphold the constitution and to apply the laws of the land. some of these she does not do herself, but she has the power and the duty to get it done through others in her government.

if that is so, why do we even have to dare president arroyo to do her job? why do we need to ask the president of this country to do her job? doesn’t she know her job?

the answer to those questions, we need to look at how we see gloria macapagal arroyo as our president.

before that, just want to point out this dare for arroyo to do her job is coming both from the opposition and her allies like speaker of the house nograles and even presidentiable gilbert teodoro.

everyone it seems is daring  arroyo to do the right thing, to do what is not only  moral but also what is lawful and a fulfillment of her duty of a president – to uphold and apply the law equally to all, to both her opponents in politics and her allies in politics.

the answers to those questions come from how we view arroyo as our president – she is a president who by experience and history we know as someone we cannot trust, as someone who will not do what is moral, what is right and who we cannot depend on doing what is lawful. arroyo to us is a president who has a habit of serving her self interest and will do anything, right or wrong just to serve her own personal political interest.

those are the reasons why citizens like us and politicians and government officials, both her allies and her opponents feel a strong need to dare arroyo to do her job and to do what is right.

we are not only asking arroyo, we are even daring her. it is that desperate and it is that much loss in trust and faith in arroyo’s presidency.

in other times and in other countries, citizens find comfort that their government and leaders will do the right thing most specially in cases like maguindanao massacre. in out case with arroyo, we need to dare her to do the right thing.

it is a very sad day for all of us filipinos not only because of the horror and barbarism of the maguindanao massacre but also because of how we view our own president.

 

 

 

 

Maguindanao Massacre – will gloria macapagal arroyo go after her ally Governor Andal Ampatuan?

the maguindanao massacre is one news item that is really very hard to read or most specially view on tv. it is gruesome. it makes you angry and makes you ask the question – how can human beings do this kind of crime?

the victims are from  the  family members of the Esmael Mangudadatu family, press and supporters. their polticial rivals,from the  Andal Ampatuan family who is governor of maguindanao is a close political ally of gloria macapagal arroyo. governor ampatuan is credited for giving arroyo a resounding win in maguindanao in the 2004 election including voting results that had the opponents of arroyo’s senatorial slate getting zero votes. (oh come on, let’s not even discuss that getting a zero is a statistical impossibility in elections.)

many questions arise:

• will arroyo let the police investigate governor ampatuan?
• if linked, will arroyo let the police arrest and prosecute ampatuan?
• how fast will the investigation go? or how slow?
• will it be thorough and truthful?

we think every filipino should condemn these killings and every filipino should demand justice for those killed in this massacre.

Senators dare Arroyo: Go after Ampatuans

MANILA – Outraged senators on Tuesday challenged President Arroyo to go after her political allies, the Ampatuans, who have been tagged in the massacre of at least 22 people, including women, in Maguindanao on Monday.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said authorities should take in for questioning Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr. amid indications that the Ampatuans may have been involved in the killing of members of the rival Mangudadatu clan and a number of journalists.

“From the reports reaching me, it looks like some members of the militia under the control of the Ampatuans were involved in the killings,” said Pimentel. “We cannot allow this dastardy act to go unpunished.”

Pimentel said he received reports Gov. Ampatuan was in Manila and suggested he be taken in for questioning.

“I am suggesting that Governor Andal be detained as a material witness considering there are indications that the men involved (in the massacre) were militiamen of Andal,” Pimentel pointed out.

However, it appeared later that it was Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanano (ARMM) Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan, Andal’s older son, who was at a meeting in Malacañang.

Still, Pimentel was doubtful if the President would go after he own political allies who delivered votes to the administration in the 2004 and 2007 elections.

“We know that Governor Andal is very close to the President. He makes it a habit to kiss the President’s hands and kilig na kilig naman si Presidente,” Pimentel said. “But it’s about time the rule of law is upheld. We must show that even in the Moro area, crime does not pay.”
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/11/24/09/senators-dare-arroyo-go-after-ampatuans

Maguindanao massacre death toll rises to 46—police 
By Marlon Ramos
Agence France-Presse, Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 08:16:00 11/24/2009

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines—(UPDATE 6) Bullet-ridden bodies were pulled out from shallow graves on Tuesday as troops hunted down the gunmen who massacred, according to the Philippine National Police, at least 46 people in one of the Philippines’ most brutal explosions of political violence.

Police on Mindanao island pulled bullet-ridden bodies from shallow graves in this remote farming area after gunmen allegedly employed by a local political chief abducted then shot dead a group of rival politicians and journalists.

“Some bodies were strewn on the ground. Most were recovered from under lumps of earth which were stained with blood,” said Chief Superintendent Josefino Cataluna, the regional police commander.

“They were piled on top of each other. It looked as if they were buried hurriedly,” said Cataluna.

Twenty-two bodies had previously been found beside a dirt road nearby following Monday’s killings by gunmen allegedly linked to the area’s political kingpin.

The group abducted associates of a rival politician and at least 20 journalists from General Santos City and nearby provinces who were covering them.

arroyo in london – no lavish dinners, just room service. lesson learned? guilt feelings?

arrroyo is once again abroad, this time in london. the good part is that arroyo seem to have learned her lesson – her presidential staff says no more 1 million peso dinners, just room service. that is good. learning their lesson is also a good thing.

it also says they know what they did before in new york was wrong and has displeased the country. but then again, we should wait a few days after she returns to the country after her trip. we are sure the press and patriots will be looking for proof that in fact no lavish dinners were involved in this trip. abangan ang susunod na kabanata…

 

Arroyo in London: No lavish dinners
‘We just eat in our rooms’—Cabinet exec

By TJ Burgonio
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:25:00 09/20/2009

MANILA, Philippines – After the furor over the lavish dinners in New York and Washington, D.C., President Macapagal-Arroyo’s delegation is claiming to be scrimping and penny-pinching, eating out of their hotel rooms in London.

“We just eat in our rooms. Room service na lang [only],” Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said in a phone interview.

mikey arroyo changes story on unexplained wealth – was not wedding gifts and campaign contributions that made him rich, his rich wife did. admits he looked stupid in interview.

with this new revelations, we think mikey arroyo hired a new lawyer and hired a PR agency to save his pride, dignity  and skin from the disastrous tv interview he had with winnie monsod.

he now says what he said on tv was not true – he just got confused, in fact he admits he looked stupid in the interview because of the skills of winnie monsod as an interviewer.

we are supposed to believe that what he said in the interview – huge sums of money as wedding gifts and huge sums of campaign contribution contributed to his wealth were not true. that all of a sudden like magic there are documents that were submitted that shows it’s the wealth of his wife that made him rich. interesting that he forgot about the documents. very convenient.

contrary to what he almost said during the interview that his lawyers made a mistake in filing the documents, it appears now they did the right thing after all.

i like the title  of the PDI article – it speaks volumes. that is how he explained his unexplained wealth.

we don’t know if mikey was able to save his own skin  with these new revelations, it being on the legal side. we are sure though he was unable to save his pride and dignity.  

 

Rich wife fattened my net worth

September 08, 2009 20:38:00

Gil C. Cabacungan Jr.

Philippine Daily Inquirer

 MANILA, Philippines—The embattled elder son of President Macapagal-Arroyo produced new documents on Tuesday showing that his personal fortune zoomed in 2002 after he married a scion of an old-rich family.

Pampanga Representative Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo produced a supplemental Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) that his lawyers supposedly filed in his behalf in August 2003, more than a year after his wedding to Angela Montenegro, to dispel allegations he had enriched himself in office.

Arroyo said he made a mistake when he attributed the spike in his wealth to the wedding presents and campaign contributions he received when he ran for Congress in 2004, after it was shown that his campaign fund declarations with the Commission on Elections did not list any significant donations.

“I feel there has been a lot of misunderstanding about the statements I made during my appearance on GMA 7’s Unang Hirit… due to my inability to cope with the rapid-fire questioning of (economist Winnie) Monsod. I respect her, and though her questioning made me look bad or stupid, I guess very few people can actually really stand up to questioning on live TV before millions of people,’’ Arroyo said in an interview over dzRH radio.

details on anomalies in mikey arroyo’s unexplained wealth

Mikey Arroyo didn’t list campaign donations
By Vera Files
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:22:00 09/07/2009

MANILA, Philippines—Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo did not declare to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) the campaign contributions that he said he received when he ran for Congress in 2004 and 2007.

Mikey said on national television on Tuesday that campaign contributions and wedding gifts were partly the reason his declared net worth ballooned from P5.7 million in 2001 to P74.4 million in 2004, and then to P99.2 million last year.

Mikey wed his second cousin Angela Arroyo Montenegro in 2002.

The numbers say Mikey’s net worth grew by more than 1,600 percent in the seven years that he has been a public official.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s eldest son, a one-time movie actor, became vice governor of Pampanga in 2001, and was elected congressman of the province’s second district in 2004 and 2007.

“Of course, first I got married. We received a lot of gifts. Then during campaigns, somehow we get contributions,” Mikey told Solita Monsod and Arnold Clavio, hosts of the morning show “Unang Hirit.”

But his statements of contributions and expenses for the last two elections show zero donations to his campaign, which he reported as having been funded from his own pocket.

Mikey declared campaign expenses of P483,000 in 2004 and P552,876.15 in 2007. His 2007 spending included posters and leaflets, P246,740.10; gas and diesel, P88,332.80; meals, P148,560; rental of building, P40,000; and miscellaneous expenses, specifically financial assistance to indigents, P29,243.25.

The Omnibus Election Code requires candidates to file a “full, true and itemized statement of all contributions and expenditures in connection with the election” within 30 days after the election.

rad in full here: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090907-223969/Mikey-Arroyo-didnt-list-campaign-donations

Protesters surround Mikey Arroyo's U.S. house - abs-cbn photo

FOSTER CITY, CA—Philippine Congressman Mikey Arroyo’s house had some very angry visitors this morning.

Filipino-American activists, chanting “Shame on you, you got caught!” staged a protest outside the home that is situated in the upscale planned community. They say they are disgusted that Arroyo, son of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, bought the $1.3 million home and failed to declare it as part of his real estate assets.

“Of course there should be a clear investigation of how he got his wealth, where he is investing it,” said Terry Valen, chair of the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns. “It’s clear that this is not coming from his salary as a Philippine congressman.”

The protesters say they are not surprised that another Arroyo property in the Bay Area has been exposed.

read in full here: http://abs-cbnnews.com/pinoy-migration/balitang-america/09/05/09/protesters-surround-mikey-arroyos-us-house

read more from verafiles.org here: http://verafiles.org/

malacanang comments on noynoy aquino inappropriate & uncalled for. whatever noynoy does is none of their business

Palace brands Noynoy retreat as ‘gimmickry’
By Christian V. Esguerra
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:13:00 09/04/2009

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang is sensing political “gimmickry” in Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III’s so-called spiritual retreat before he decides on whether to run for president next year.

Gary Olivar, deputy presidential spokesperson, Thursday said the senator should “not just ride on sentimental support” in heeding the supposed clamor for him to seek the highest office in the land.

“We respect whatever gimmickry, whatever ways on how he can arrive at a decision,” Anthony Golez, another spokesperson, said in a media briefing.

Golez was commenting on impressions that Aquino might only be playing hard-to-get before eventually announcing his presidential bid in the May elections.

read in full here: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090904-223454/Palace-brands-Noynoy-retreat-as-gimmickry

 

frankly, whatever noynoy does is none of their business. everything and anything that noynoy does on the issue of his candidacy and even all the other presidentiables have nothing to do with the office of the president – it does not affect them in any way and should not affect them. someone should bitch slap olivar to make him understand what his true role is.   

read in full here: http://2010presidentiables.wordpress.com/2009/09/04/who-is-afraid-of-noynoy-aquino-answer-malacanang/

mikey arroyo embarasses himself on live national tv, winnie monsod slays mikey on his hidden wealth

key points here:

• mikey arroyo admits he hid his wealth by declaring the property in the US as owned by a shell company or a dummy. dummy company, not dummy interviewee.
• mikey refuses to name co-owners of the company that owns the property in the US.
• mikey is unable to explain that given his salary as a congressman and governor how he was able to amass such capital and wealth.
• mikey attempts to give an excuse that there was an error from the first filing of his SAL and should ask an  atty. de guzman about it. we want to have  atty. de guzman interviewed in the same show soon!
• mikey says his wealth was “hindi naman kalakihan yan”. huh? P76M is “hindi naman kalakihan”??? really?
• monsod says – from P5M to P76M and you were only a vice-governor and congressman. kailangan naman may konting explanation.
• mikey arroyo — sue me to find out the facts, says ask my lawyers. this is SOP statement of arroyo’s cabinet members.
• winnie monsod : the burden of proof on the accuracy is on the government employee.
• mikey arroyo was totally ill-prepared.
• he does not have the intellectual capacity to answer questions of the sort nor the ability to get out of tight situations. he was totally clueless. he sorely likes IQ, he did at all look smart. he had nothing of it.
• his position was indefensible.
• he should have not gone to that interview at all. or if he really was hot on appearing on national tv, he should have brought with him his lawyers. or offered to do a dance number or sing a song.
• winnie monsod was on fire and to put it simply - brilliant! not even a centimeter did winnie monsod give  mikey to stand on!
• what the hell was mikey arroyo thinking appearing in that tv show to talk about that? he did not know the topic?
• the segment title says “one-on-one with igan”, why was winnie monsod in the segment? was mikey arroyo set up? did mikey arroyo know winnie monsod will be there?
• mikey arroyo was obviously being skinned alive by winnie monsod that arnold clavio probably took pity on him that clavio started to help mikey by volunteering words and thoughts that mikey could not think of. hahaha.

these videos are a MUST-VIEW!

in the videos above, arroyo says a company owns the property. this document says the property is owned by his wife. document received via email.

photo of mikey arroyo property as posted at verafiles.org

visit this website for more: http://verafiles.org/

read more about mikey arroyo: representative mikey arroyo: eating at mcdonald’s and turo-turo not decent, not dignified enough for gloria macapagal arroyo

——

Mikey Arroyo under fire on YouTube
By Christian V. Esguerra
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:03:00 09/03/2009

MANILA, Philippines—Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo may have found himself in deeper trouble following an early morning TV interview about his ballooning net worth and P63.7-million beachfront property in the United States.

Clips of his Tuesday interview with GMA 7’s “Unang Hirit” were uploaded to the video-sharing website YouTube, triggering nasty comments—many of them apparently not fit for newspaper publication—from angry Web users.

One viewer described the lawmaker as “the world’s dum… criminal.”

“(Mikey) sucks at defending himself. If he is in court, he’ll be (cited) for contempt for utter stu…,” another commented.

Another viewer said Mikey “hanged himself on national TV” with the way he explained how his net worth jumped from P5 million in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) in 2002 to P99 million last year.

“Take note of (his) facial expressions and the tone of his voice. Talagang sinu. . . (He’s really a li…),” one viewer said.

“Another stu… son of a corrupt politician. This is exactly what happens when you have a big f_ _ _ing ego to go on air to show everyone how much assets you try to hide,” said another. “Mikey, isa kang … (you’re st…)!”

read in full here: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090903-223295/Mikey-Arroyo-under-fire-on-YouTube

——

comments from readers of this blog:  

dexmpel:

The best ka mareng winnie!!! binalatan mo si mikey at walang nagawa kundi maging on the defensive mode. Marend Winnie for senator, lagot ang mga tiwali hehe ;p

Regie :

I can imagine his toes curling as each damning question was being hurled his way and there’s nothing he can do about it but endure, endure, and endure more…

Hahaha! Serves him right…1

Pinay :

how stupid is he? the nerve! still smiling and laughing the entire interview… it’s beyond embarassing that we have the likes of Mikey Arroyo in key government positions. if he can’t even take responsibility for his own SAL, how can he take responsibility for even bigger things?

Rex :

I am so annoyed with his chronic lying. When he said “it is a legal way of teaching us how deal our SALN” in response to Prof. Monsod’s insinuation that he is hiding the asset, I immediately doubted if the business or asset was really legal. He was also saying “as other public officials are doing…”. What are they doing, Mikey? As far as my sense of smell can reach, I believe that many of you are lying in their SALN.

His answers became more clumsy and disturbing when Prof. Winnie Monsod probed him on the increase of his income over a short period of years. He mentioned buying and selling of real estate properties in the states as the cause of the increase. Wasn’t that an admission that He indeed he has a business whether it is in a corporation or not.

He further displays his ignorance when he said that his SALN is “self-explanatory”. FYI It only explains one thing: confusion. When he said his lawyer can explain it further, my nerves would like to explode. For God sake Mikey show some respect on the intelligence of the Filipino People, or to the ordinary govt employee the least. Listen to your Professor Monsod, Mikey. It is your SALN, not your lawyers’. Don’t take it so lightly just because you are the son of the President and has the mechanism to control systems. Govt employees work on their SALN with their sweat and blood. They treat it as a almost a sacred document to keep their commitment on transparency and that they abide by the rules of RA 6713 or Code of Ethics for Govt Officials and Employees.

wawam :

monsod was relentless! she made a point and destroyed everything and anything that mikey arroyo said, each and every point he made. she was just brilliant!

mikey arroyo on the other hand was a total idiot. he was unable to explain anything or even get out of anything. he kept saying one wrong thing after the other. instead of parrying, answering or putting issues to rest, he got himself into deeper trouble in every answer he gave.

this interview should be used in universities as a lesson on how one can look real stupid in a tv interview!

the interview was so much of a disaster for mikey arroyo that igan took pity on him by giving the answers that mikey can’t think of. hahaha

Krystle :

Nakakahiya ka Mikey. Yun lang masasabi ko. Tumatayo balahibo ko sayo at sa pamilya mo.

To Ms. Winnie, keep up the great work.

sadfairy :

Ang galing mo talagang mangisa mareng winnie!!! mabuhay ka talaga grabe saludo ako sayo….

click here to read the comments on you tube: in that PDI news article, it reported the youtube videos had 8,000 views after only 1 day, it now has 36,000 views after just two days. go to this link to read the comments –   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q0JKzpjh_o&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwawam%2Ewordpress%2Ecom%2F&feature=player_embedded

new development: mikey arroyo changes story on unexplained wealth – was not wedding gifts and campaign contributions that made him rich, his rich wife did. admits he looked stupid in interview