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Supporters rally for family accused of Philippine massacre

Malaysia News.Net
Sunday 29th November, 2009 (IANS)

Thousands of people Sunday rallied in support of a prominent political family in the southern Philippines accused of masterminding the massacre of 57 people allegedly committed out of political rivalry.

About 3,000 demonstrators gathered outside the residences of the Ampatuan family in Shariff Aguak town in Maguindanao province, 930 km south of Manila.

Dozens of local officials allied with the Ampatuans also converged at the residences of Maguindanao Governor Datu Andal Ampatuan Senior and Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao Governor Zaldy Ampatuan to express their support.

The demonstrators carried placards rejecting the allegations against the family, nine members of which have been accused of being involved in the Nov 23 mass slaughter in nearby Ampatuan town.

'Stop accusing the Ampatuans,' one placard read.

The massacre victims included 30 journalists and relatives, lawyers and supporters of Esmael Mangudadatu, a rival politician contesting the post of Maguindanao governor, which has been held by Ampatuan Senior since 2001.

Datu Andal Ampatuan Junior, son of the incumbent governor and mayor of Datu Unsay town in Maguindanao, has been detained and faces multiple murder charges for allegedly masterminding and taking part in the killings.

His father, elder brother Zaldy, and six other relatives were also being investigated for involvement in the carnage, which has been condemned by the international community.

The ruling Lakas-Kampi political party also expelled Ampatuan Senior, Zaldy Ampatuan and Ampatuan Junior following the massacre.

Lieutenant Colonel Romeo Brawner, a military spokesman, said government troops were closely monitoring the demonstration to ensure that violence does not break out.

'We have received information that supporters of the Mangudadatus are also massing up, but we have yet to verify this,' he said. 'We are on top of the situation, the area is under our control.'

Brawner said several armed men had been arrested at various checkpoints set up around Maguindanao as part of efforts to keep peace in the area.

'We are checking if they are allied with any of the warring clans,' he said. 'They could also be just residents who are used to carrying firearms, but since they passed by the checkpoints, they were arrested and their weapons confiscated.'

 

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Comments on this story

JUPKURS
11-29-09, 03:45 AM

Supporters rally for family accused of Philippine massacre

of course these are the people who benefited from them or scared they might be killed too, Or afarid to lose their jobs, or they are on payroll to rally behind like a usual political scene in the Philippines!!

The AMPATUANS are guilty with the so many witnesses, turn of events and evidences! Put them to ROT in Jail coz in the philippines they are even worse than a rotten rat!!

Anonymous
11-29-09, 05:05 AM

We can not say they guilty of the crime until all the evidence and witness and court of justice find them guilty.

Anonymous
11-29-09, 05:20 AM

would just imagine that this will be another government coverup

burke
11-29-09, 07:34 AM

Lumang style na yan, syempre mga bayaran, kamaganakan, mga takutan

Boljak
11-29-09, 09:47 AM

Juck-tice

What ever you say, Junk-tice will prevail

fil am america
11-29-09, 11:34 AM

pag pera ayos na

somsbay bay kame deto sa usa sa ano mang nayayare dean sa ating basa sa maga sporta ni AMPATUAN BELIB NAMAN KAME SA ENIYO GOMAWA NA NGA NANG KA ROMALDOMAL NA CREMEN KOMA KAMPE PA KAYO AY KON HINDE SIYA SINO?KONG KAYO NAMAN ANG ESONOD KAY MRS PRESEDEND PLS WAG MONG PABAYAN NA BAGO KA BOMABA SA POWESTO KAILANGAN MAG KAROON NANG MABEGAT NA KAPAROSA ANG MAGA TAONG YAN LAHAT NA KASAMA DEAIN SA CREMEN NAYAN BETAY ANG KAILANGAN SA MAGA TAONG GANEAN AT KONG AMPATUAN MAN DAPAT ALISAN NANG TONGKOLEN SA GOVERNO SINO MAN SA AMPATUAN FAMELY O AMG PADALA KAYONG APDET NA PICTUR DETO SA USA O SA MAGA SOSPEC KAME NA ANG BAHALA KATARONGAN ANG KAELANGA

Anonymous
11-29-09, 11:43 AM

Sounds like bought and paid for supporters. Nothing like a free meal.

Japour LAKAY
11-29-09, 12:22 PM

corupption in the Philippines goverment is the way of life in the Pilipino goverment,so it not new.I am very sure the media suck these up.One thing in the Philippines we too many newspaper person and they love to write and critized the goverment. They love to baticus the politicians as well as the establishment.We have too much freedom and they abuse the system. We can not be democratic goverment because we do not know how to handle it.Freedom for one is not freedom for the other one.It is a fuck up system that well abused by the leader of the goverment. What are we in power for,we have the system and we are system... Poor Pilipino does have any leg to stand on...We need a dictatorship goverment and get rid of the politicians unti our goverment we learned how govern our selves properly. Our biggest export is labor and next to none.We can not even comply our sugar export qouta ahve to buy some from Thailand to comply with our requirement for export. We have to import from Vietnam our staple rice to feed the pilipino. That is sorry.....

Aslumay..from US
11-29-09, 01:03 PM

Lumang tugtugin na yan..

Hi people in Maguindanao specially in Ampatuan’s family supporters..Wag kayong magpakapipi dahil sa pera na ibinigay sa inyo.ginawa ninyo na kumakapmi dahil sa kayo ay nakatanggap nang maraming pera?Pera is only good for one day or months pero ang buhay ng tao hindi mabayaran ng pera.I dont think all of you are blind and deaf oh ano kumkampi kayo sa maysala kaya country natin di umasenso dahil sa bulok na situation..The government should punish the criminals..People who rallied there in Ampatuans family umaasa sa pera take note sooner or later kayo ay papatayin then katulad sa namatay dyan..Oh anu wag kayong magpakabubo..Ayan ang nagpahirap sa ating ang may pera..Hope all of you will see what is going on in your place..

Anonymous
11-29-09, 02:47 PM

state of an emergency in mindanao is just another corruption plan by arroyo to stay in what she calls power over the philippines.poor philippines to have such a discraceful idiot in the palace.

He who knows the turth
11-29-09, 03:57 PM

No virgins waiting in heaven for these godless scum

Its time the embarrassment stops, the Philippines is getting worse every day, it makes me laugh when the Government says it is promoting the country as a retirement haven, who in their right mind would want to put themselves at that level of risk ? . Iraq is no worse, In gods name get it right, and the people of the Philippines and Mindanao in particular, stop blindly following which ever movie star throws enough peso’s your way, stop the courrption, stop the graft, vote for whats right and stop the killing before you destroy your won country. Do you hate it so much that your willing to destroy it? You have a beautiful part of the world in which to live for heavens sake look after it. And as for the Muslims of Mindanao, give up the vast majority of the island is Christian , you cant have it, its not yours, things change, get used to it and live in peace with your Christian Brothers and Sisters.

Datu Abdullah Bato
11-30-09, 03:05 AM

No matter who is the president of the Philippines there will be a strong habit of corruptions.It is in the blood of the Pilipinos because the money is there in front of you to take because you have the power to do so.If the punishment is death for such action then will kinda peter out in decent portions but not all the way...The iskland needs a strong decipline no matter what you say and done. And it much be done by the people it self. If the island has lot of good paying job and job is abundant to all and corupption is curtail than it will be good for us. It gotten so bad the Korean are buying land ,making their own community than no Pilipino are allowed to come because they control the area of residency. Look around you and you see the Korean are taking over and the Pilipinos are the servant in your own country.The powerful and the rich control the country and elected to control the political dogma and everything is bought by them.As for the muslims Pilipino , the rich Muslims also coutrol the country side and the poor who do not give a hoot about their quest but to earn an honest living are caught between the quarrel of the Pilipino Muslims politics which are also trying to out do each other by corruption and killing each other.MAY BE THE POLITICAL KILLING ONE DAY THE MALAYSIAN WILL GRAB MINDANAO AND KILL ALL THE POLITICIAN INSIGHT AND THE WILL TAKE OVER THE ISLAND,SO PHILIPPINES THEY ARE THERE NEGOCIATING NOT FOR THE PILIPINOS BUT FOR THEMSELVES HOW TO TAKE OVER THE COUNTRY WHEN TIME COMES. SO WATCH IT ,IT WILL COME NOT NOW BUT SOON......

rocky ramirez
12-01-09, 04:47 AM

CJS

NOW, THEY PROVE THAT CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IN OUR COUNTRY IS ROTTEN! the people must choose
a president who can declare MARSHAL LAW LIKE MARCOS, TO STOP THIS KIND OF INHUMANE ACTS.


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