Thaindian News

Manila, Jan 13 (DPA) The scion of a powerful political clan - on trial for the massacre of 57 people last year - fired an assault rifle at the victims, many of whom were on their knees pleading, a key witness told the court Wednesday.
Rasul Sangki, the witness, testified that he was with Datu Andal Ampatuan Junior when the latter and more than 100 militiamen and police officers slaughtered the 57 victims Nov 23 in Ampatuan town in Maguindanao province, 930 km south of Manila.

Sangki, vice mayor of Ampatuan town, said he tried to convince Ampatuan Junior, mayor of nearby Datu Unsay town, not to harm the victims.

“I asked Datu Unsay (Ampatuan Junior’s nickname) if we can just talk this out, but he told me to shut up because he was already tired,” Sangki told the court.

Sangki, a distant relative of the suspect, said he also heard Ampatuan Junior talking over a two-way radio with his father, Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Senior, who allegedly gave the order for the mass killing.

The victims were relatives of a political rival of the Ampatuans, and dozens of journalists. They were in a convoy of vehicles that was blocked by Ampatuan Junior and his armed followers.

Sangki told the court how one journalist, who was personally known to Ampatuan Junior, begged for his life but the suspect ignored his plea and shot him to death.

“I saw some of the victims already sprawled on the ground but Datu Unsay and his men continued shooting at them to make sure nobody would survive,” he said.

After the hearing that lasted more than five hours, Ampatuan Junior was immediately whisked away to a waiting van and brought to the National Bureau of Investigation headquarters where he is being detained.

On Tuesday, Ampatuan Junior told reporters that he was innocent of the crime and he expressed confidence that given a fair trial, he would be exonerated.

“I ask whoever was behind this crime to come out now because it’s really hard for people like me to suffer for something we did not do,” he said from his detention cell. “If the trial is fair, I’m 100 percent sure that I will win the case.”

Ampatuan Senior and other members of the family have been detained and are expected to also face trial for their alleged roles in the massacre, which was condemned internationally.

The Ampatuans had more than 2,000 armed supporters and a huge stockpile of weapons prior to their arrests.

They were close allies of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and were suspected to have played a key role in the alleged rigging of the 2004 presidential elections to ensure her victory.