Amid the fighting, the clan rules in Maguindanao

FOR a single act of supposed generosity, the Ampatuan name will always be remembered by many people.

In December 2007 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan and son Zaldy Ampatuan, governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, gave airport employees a thousand pesos each.

The Christmas gift-giving by father and son, both Muslims, became controversial after airport officials reprimanded the employees for leaving their posts as the gift-giving was in progress.

The incident may come as a surprise to many in Manila but not to the residents of Maguindanao. There, the Ampatuans, the latest in the string of clans that wield power and privilege in Mindanao, are hailed as benefactors and patrons.

This special report looks into how the Ampatuans continue to hold sway, even as poverty and illiteracy continue to worsen in Maguindanao.

Over the last fortnight, thousands of Maguindanao folk have fled their homes, amid internecine clashes between soldiers and rebels of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. In truth, through all the fighting, the Ampatuans remain the unrivaled authority in the province.

Read on at pcij.org.