DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Former Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr. has charged Armed Forces Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) chief Lt. Gen. Raymundo Ferrer and two other military officers with arbitrary detention, and two unidentified civilians with illegal detention before the Davao City Prosecutor’s Office.
Charged with Ferrer were Army 601st Infantry Brigade commander Col. Leo Cresente Ferrer and 64th Infantry Battalion commander Lt. Col. Joel Paloma.
Military authorities are looking for a place to detain Ampatuan Sr. after doctors at the military’s Eastmincom Hospital in Camp Panacan in Davao City reportedly declared him fit for discharge.
Ferrer told The STAR they have not yet received a copy of Ampatuan’s complaint.
“We will look into it as soon as we get hold of a copy of the complaint,” he said.
Meanwhile, reports said Ampatuan Sr. has asked a Davao City court to allow him to remain at Eastmincom for his personal security.
The Ampatuan patriarch was among those implicated in the Nov. 23 Maguindanao massacre in which 57 people, including women and 30 journalists, were killed.
Three of his sons, Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Shariff Aguak Mayor Anwar Ampatuan, and acting Maguindanao governor Sajid Ampatuan are now detained at the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) headquarters in Camp Fermin Lira, General Santos City.
Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. is jailed at the National Bureau of Investigation headquarters in Manila.
In General Santos City, the families of massacre victims noted yesterday President Arroyo’s statement calling for speedy trial of the case.
They dared Mrs. Arroyo to be true to her word.
“All we wanted is the speedy trial of the case so justice would be served early for the victims,” said Myrna Reblando, wife of Alejandro “Bong” Reblando, one of the slain journalists.
Fr. Angel Buenavedez, one of the officers of the Maguindanao Media Victims Massacre Committee, said he hopes that this time it would not be merely lip service.
“We should unite and watch over the case to make sure justice is served,” he said in Filipino.
“If the President wants the perpetrators’ conviction, so do we,” Police Officer 1 Eliver Cablitas, husband of victim Maritess Cablitas, said.
“Just make sure that swift justice should be served and the Ampatuans should pay for the crime.”
The victims’ families yesterday offered flowers and prayers at the mass grave of the slain journalists at Forest Lake Memorial Park in General Santos City, as they commemorated 40 days since the death of the victims.
Media practitioners from Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, South Cotabato, General Santos City and Manila showed their sympathy to the families by sponsoring a Mass at the common grave. -Edith Regalado, Rose Tamayo-Tesoro, Nonong Baliao