Sidebar
At least 44 officials in the Maguindanao and the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao are Ampatuans. After the massacre of 57 people, including 31 journalists, on November 23, 2009, only a few had been ousted from office. They include brothers Zaldy, Andal Jr and Sajid Islam, all sons of Ampatuan patriarch Andal Sr. The Ampatuans remain a force to reckon with in Maguindanao, their hold on political power has grown roots so deep and so extensive.
Why poor Maguindanao is awash with weapons of war
by Ed Lingao
IN JULY last year, Philippine National Police officers from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PNP-ARMM) met with representatives from the Arms Corporation of the Philippines (Armscor) for what should have been a fairly straightforward transaction.
The PNP was buying half a million rounds of 5.56-mm ammunition, the kind used by the police and military for the M-16 rifle. The purchase and delivery papers indicate that the bullets were meant for deployment to war-torn Sulu.
by Justine Espina-Letargo
THE prosecution considers his testimony crucial to its case against Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., who stands accused in the November 23 mass murder of 57 people in Maguindanao. But Ampatuan town Vice Mayor Rasul Sangki’s words were almost lost in translation as the interpreter appointed by the court struggled to keep up with his testimony, which he gave in a mixture of Filipino and Maguindanaoan.
by Justine Espina-Letargo
From Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes, to the lawyers of both the prosecution and the defense panels, down to the relatives of the victims of the November 23 massacre, all appeared resolute on the first day of what is expected to be a long, drawn-out trial of Mayor Andal Ampatuan, Jr. who currently faces 41 counts of murder. Save for the sound of cameras clicking, there was no noticeable tumult from the other side of the court, where several relatives of the massacre victims were seated as Ampatuan, clad in a red striped, short-sleeved shirt and denims entered the converted courtroom in PNP headquarters in Quezon City.
JUST a few weeks after the Maguindanao massacre, thin and frail-looking Margie Pusanso came knocking on the door of Freddie Solinap, publisher of the Koronadal-based weekly Periodico Ini, to ask for her old job back.
Margie had worked briefly as a part-time reporter, before leaving for what she thought were greener pastures as a call center agent. But now, Margie wanted back in.
Video
by Ed Lingao
Journalists, media workers, and activists march to Mendiola to demand justice for colleagues slain in the Maguindanao Massacre. Read the story.
PHOTO GALLERY
by Karol Ilagan
[autoviewer id=journalists-rally width=640 height=480]ON the eve of the observance of International Human Rights Day (December 10), journalists and media workers took to the streets in Mendiola, a stone’s throw from the seat of political power that is Malacanang Palace, in rage and grief. Their common call: Justice for the 57 victims of the November 23 […]
A report by the fact-finding team organized by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) for the Freedom Fund for Filipino Journalists (FFFJ) on the killing of at least 30 journalists/media practitioners in the Maguindanao massacre.
The team was composed of representatives from the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), the Davao-based news organization MindaNews, the PCIJ, the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) and the FFFJ.
PHOTO GALLERY
Please be warned of the graphic nature of these photographs. All photos were taken from the Commission on Human Rights.
