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MINDANAO BY FREDDIE AGUILAR ( TRIBUTE FOR THE VICTIMS) MAY THE REST IN PEACE



'Ampatuan Jr. killed 40 of 57'

Cop-driver details wiping out of convoy
BY ASHZEL HACHERO

A police officer who served as the personal driver and escort of principal accused Andal Ampatuan Jr. testified at the Maguindanao massacre trial that the former Datu Unsay town mayor shot more or less 40 of the 57 victims last Nov. 23, 2009.

Senior Police Officer 1 Rainier Ebus, the prosecution's fifth witness, told Quezon City Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes that he was among the policemen who accompanied Ampatuan Jr. and his armed supporters to Sitio Masalay, Barangay Salman, Ampatuan town where the victims, including the wife and sisters of former Buluan town mayor and now Maguindanao Gov. Esmael "Toto" Mangudadatu and 30 journalists, were killed after their convoy were flagged at a checkpoint.

Ebus said he saw how Ampatuan Jr. ordered more or less 10 people from the Mangudadatu convoy to alight from their vehicle and form a line.

Moments after they were ordered to form a line, he said Ampatuan Jr. opened fire on the hapless victims.

"Pagkatapos ay pinagbabaril na ni Unsay (Ampatuan Jr.'s nickname)," Ebus said.

Ebus is seeking to be discharged from the case and become a state witness.

He said that those inside their vehicle cried and pleaded with Ampatuan Jr. when they saw their colleagues gunned down in front of them.

"Nag-iiyakan po sila pero pinagbabaril din sila ni Unsay," he said.

Asked what he did when the shooting started, Ebus police officer said he stayed inside one of the vans as he was very scared.

"Marami siyang pera. Marami siyang baril at tauhan at ammunition. Kaya niyang pumatay," Ebus said.

After that, Ebus said a backhoe arrived at the area as Ampatuan Jr. and his men started leaving the site.

Later in the night, Ebus said he and other escorts of Ampatuan Jr. were gathered for two separate meetings: one in the mountains of Pongo, and another at the mansion of Ampatuan Jr.

His testimony corroborated the testimony of prosecution witness Akmad Abubakar Esmael who also told the court he saw Ampatuan Jr. order the victims to get out of their vehicles at the massacre site and lie down before firing at them.

Esmael also testified that the victims were crying and pleading for their lives but that Ampatuan Jr. and his men continued firing their guns.

Ebus was the second police officer who testified against the Ampatuans.

Last week, Police Inspector Rex Ariel Diongon, group director of the 1508th Maguindanao Police Mobile Group, told the court he took part in a meeting with Ampatuan Jr. plotting to stop the Mangudadatu's electoral convoy.

He claimed that the meeting took place four days before the massacre at a house in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao.

Twenty-eight more accused pleaded not guilty to 57 counts of murder during their arraignment.

The 28 accused were composed of operatives from the 1507th Maguindanao Provincial Police Mobile Group and some civilian volunteer organization (CVO) members.

They were SPO2 George S. Labayan, SPO1 Ali M. Solano, Eduardo G. Ong, Samuad U. Maguindara, Elizer S. Rendaje and Alimola L. Guianon; PO3 Felix A. Daquilos, Gibrael R. Alano, Ricky D. Balanueco and Felix Enate Jr.; PO2 Kendatu S. Rakim and Rex D. Guiama; and PO1 Bersenik T. Alfonso, Jimmy M. Kadtong, Abdurahman Batarasa, Datu Jerry M. Utto, Abdulbayan U. Mindas, Marjul T. Julkadi, Abdulmanan L. Saavedra, Pendatun A. Dima, Ebara G. Bebot, Amir Soliman, Tamano S. Haidi, Marsman E. Nilong, Badjun E. Panegas, Michael Macorongan and Mohamad Balading.

Seven other accused were supposed to enter pleas but their arraignment was deferred to Nov. 28 because they were not represented by a lawyer.

They were SPO1 Oscar Donato, PO1 Abdullah Baguadatu, Armando Ambalgan alias Jamil; Bulatukan Kayansang, Jonathan Ampatuan alias Jojo; Macton Bilungan, Norman Taktak alias Norman Subo, and Datu Jimmy Ampatuan.

The arraignment took nearly an hour to complete, mainly due to the sheer number of the respondents and the language barrier. Some of those being arraigned could only understand the Maguindanaon language and the court only had one translator.

The prosecution said the 28 helped in carrying out the carnage.

The arraignment brought to 50 the respondents who have entered their plea out of the 197 accused, of which 115 remain unaccounted for.

Lawyer Harry Roque, who represents 13 of the massacre victims' relatives, expressed both joy and dismay over the arraignment. "Fifty is already one-fourth of the accused in this case. Madami na rin yun," he said.

But Roque said he feels that the trial itself could be expedited given that it has been a year since the mass murders took place.