CLARK FREEPORT — Amid reports that the Ampatuan family dominated the last elections in Maguindanao, former human rights lawyer Angeles City Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan urged here yesterday the creation of a special court for “horrendous crimes committed so publicly”, such as the infamous Maguindanao massacre on Nov. 23 four years ago.
Pamintuan issued this appeal as local journalists gathered here yesterday for their commemoration of the massacre every 23rd of the month.
The Ampatuan clan is being held liable for the massacre that killed 58 people, including incumbent Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu’s wife and sister and 32 media people.
Pamintuan urged newly elected officials in the last May 13 polls to back his proposal for the Supreme Court, together with the Department of Justice, to create such courts whose role would not only be to handle crimes in the magnitude and nature of the Maguindanao massacre, but also ensure more protection for witnesses.
This, even as Fred Villareal, director of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), expressed fears that the victory of at least 19 members of the Ampatuan clan in the last elections in Maguindanao would further imperil the massacre case.
He said that with three witnesses in the case already murdered, other witnesses could be more readily intimidated by the political victories of the Ampatuans in Maguindanao.
The Ampatuans won the mayoralty post in the towns of Datu Hoffer Ampatuan, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Datu Unsay, Mamasapano and Shariff Aguak. In both Hoffer Ampatuan and Shariff Aguak towns, Ampatuans were also elected vice mayor.
The elected mayors included the wives of three senior clan figures who are on trial for the massacre.
In the Ampatuans’ hometown of Shariff Aguak, 48 candidates ran for the position of municipal councilor, 12 of them surnamed Ampatuan.
The rival Mangudadatu clan managed to win only nine seats, although Esmael Mangudadatu was reelected govenor. His brothers Zajid and Khadafeh were elected representative of the second district and representative of the regional assembly, respectively.
