'Ampatuan arms came from police arsenal'

MANILA, Philippines - Some of the firearms of the Ampatuans came from the police arsenal, a military official said yesterday.

The military official who asked not to be named told The STAR that before last year’s Maguindanao massacre, some 200 baby Armalite rifles were brought to ARMM Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan’s house in Shariff Aguak.

The rifles were picked up by Superintendent Abusama Maguid of the ARMM police from Awang Airport at Datu Odin Sinsuat town in Maguindanao, he added.

The source said the firearms came from Camp Crame in Quezon City supposedly to be issued to newly trained policemen of the ARMM Regional Mobile Group.

Maguid, whose wife is a close relative of the Ampatuans, was the chief of the ARMM police supply unit and acting director of the Maguindanao police at the time.

Maguid was relieved from his post immediately after the Maguindanao massacre and is under restrictive custody.

Most of the recovered firearms, particularly the recovered rifles, had markings of government arsenals, the source said.

MILF: No alliance with Ampatuans

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rejected yesterday as a “cheap shot” insinuations that it had linked up with militiamen loyal to the Ampatuan clan.

Ghadzali Jaafar, MILF vice chairman for political affairs, said it is the joint ceasefire committee that could confirm if members of Ampatuan-controlled Civilian Volunteer Organizations (CVO) have joined the MILF in Maguindanao.

“That could be meant to destroy the ongoing peace initiative between the government and the MILF,” he said.

“We can’t gain anything by allowing groups being hunted by the police and the military to join our ranks. We must not forget that there are international groups observing the GRP-MILF talks.”

Maj. Randolph Cabangbang, Armed Forces Eastern Mindanao Command spokesman, said that former militiamen employed by the Ampatuans have joined the MILF’s 106th Base Command, whose chief, Adan Abdullah, is a known relative of the clan patriarch Andal Ampatuan Sr.

Local officials in Shariff Aguak, said some members of the Ampatuan militia have joined MILF forces under Commander Item Ampatuan, a relative of the detained former governor.

Meanwhile, the Army’s 6th Infantry Division yesterday started imposing security measures to ensure peaceful elections in Maguindanao.

Col. Ernesto Aradanas, Army 603rd Infantry Brigade commander, said part of their election security initiative is the disarming of more armed groups.

The 603rd Brigade has seized some 200 assault rifles from CVO members and militiamen the past two months.

Lt. Col. Benjamin Hao, Army 6th Infantry Division spokesman, said the demobilization of the CVOs and the deactivation of the militias are in compliance with Resolution No. 8714 of the Commission on Elections (Comelec). – Rose Tamayo-Tesoro, John Unson