Maguindanao

posted on Tuesday, February 26, 2019

It took me 9 years after the controversial Ampatuan massacre to finally set foot in Maguindanao. And as a journalist, I’m thankful to have been given a chance. Because to write about the Maguindanao massacre without really having been in the massacre site, without personally interacting with the victims’ families, may have been manageable but entirely different.

Our shoot was mainly for GMA News TV’s Bawal ang Pasaway kay Mareng Winnie episode for airing on November 26, 2018. The plan was to stay overnight in Davao then travel by land to Buluan, Maguindanao by the wee hours. We had to be in Buluan by 7 am of November 23 for the 9th anniversary program in the massacre site. But things didn’t go as planned because our flight was super delayed and we arrived in Davao past 1 am. Travel time to Buluan was roughly 3 hours. So we ended up heading straight to Buluan from the airport. We arrived earlier though at around 6 am. We had ample time for breakfast and a change of overnight clothes for the long shoot day ahead.

By 7 am, we were off to Sitio Masalay, where the 58 victims were found buried 9 years ago. Anniversary posters and white balloons were being set-up upon our arrival in the memorial site. The gymnasium built years after the massacre, was slowly getting filled with families of victims and program participants.

We were able to interview several family members of provincial journalists killed in the massacre. All of them still waiting for justice to be served after 9 years of endless court hearings. Our episode’s case study was the wife of Rasul Daud, the Mangudadatu family’s driver and whose remains were the last to be recovered. Halima was pregnant during the death of her husband and now left with two kids to raise on her own. “Noong time na ‘yun ang dinadasal ko lang kay Allah kahit putol-putol na yung kamay niya or leeg niya basta makita ko lang ang bangkay niya. Mabigyan ko lang siya ng magandang libing.” She had no intention of abandoning the case in exchange of money, “Doon sa kasama ko na balo, yung narinig lang niya na may nag-ooffer daw na magbayad sila. Pero ako, ang sinabi ko lang sa kanila kahit isang truck pa ang ibayad nila sa akin, hindi mababayaran yung pagkawala ng asawa ko.”

197 suspects were tagged in the crime including the powerful political clan of the Ampatuans. We were able to interview Shariff Aguak’s Mayor Marop Ampatuan, who is also the grandson of one of the main suspects Andal Amapatuan Sr. Ironically, Marop won as Shariff Aguak’s mayor under the banner of Gov. Toto Mangudadatu. “Pag politics, talagang nandiyan lagi yung opposition. So tayo straight lang tayo doon sa kung paano made-develop yung lugar.” Marop admitted how his affinity with the Ampatuans during the massacre affected their everyday life, “Talagang naapektuhan lalung-lalo na yung mga anak namin, kamag-anak namin. Maraming tumigil sa pag-aaral pero after nun nalinawan natin ang lahat na hindi lahat ng pamilya Ampatuan ay ganun.”

After our shoot, we were able to pass by the known Pink Mosque in Maguindanao on our way to Cotabato. It was indeed a sight to behold---a symbol of Maguindanao’s rich culture and Muslim heritage.