Robredo sends PNP
to Cotabato bank

Alerted by reports that Ampatuan lawyers are trying to withdraw money from Cotabato City bank accounts ordered frozen by the courts, Interior and Local Governments Secretary Jesse Robredo personally ordered the deployment of police officers to the Cotabato branch of Banco de Oro.

Robredo ordered the Cotabato City Police Office to immediately dispatch PNP uniformed personnel to secure Banco de Oro. Robredo said that the team must be led by at least one senior police commissioned officer who would coordinate directly with the bank manager.

Robredo said he wanted to be apprised of the situation throughout the day.

The PCIJ learned from sources in Cotabato of an attempt by two lawyers claiming to be representatives of the Ampatuan clan to gain access to bank accounts earlier ordered frozen by the Manila Regional Trial Court. It is not clear if the lawyers were successful in getting access to the accounts, which were again ordered frozen by the courts yesterday.