General in massacre case is now Army vice chief

The military official who refused to provide security to the ill-fated convoy in the Maguindanao massacre case has been moved to a higher position. Maj. Gen. Alfredo Cayton, formerly the chief of the Army's 6th Infantry Division, on Monday assumed the position of Army vice commander following the recommendation of the Armed Forces' Board of Generals. Cayton - along with Col. Medardo Geslani, commander of the Army's 601st Brigade - were relieved in the wake of the Nov. 23 massacre of at least 57 people, most of them women and journalists, in Ampatuan town, Maguindanao. A military investigation cleared Cayton and Geslani of any liability. The two said they rejected the request for security because of the limited number of available soldiers. “He [Cayton] was already cleared. There was an inquiry, but they [Cayton and Geslani] were cleared," said Lt. Col. Arnulfo Burgos, the Army spokesman. Geslani, however, is still on floating status. The massacre, considered as the worst case of political violence in the country, was blamed on the powerful Ampatuan clan. The prime suspect in the case, Datu Unsay mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., pleaded not guilty during the arraignment on his multiple murder case Tuesday morning. Among the victims of the massacre were the wife and sisters of Buluan vice mayor Ismael "Toto" Mangudadatu, a member of the Ampatuans' rival political clan. Mangudadatu is set to challenge an Ampatuan scion in the Maguindanao gubernatorial race on May. Another reason given by the Armed Forces in clearing Cayton and Geslani was that protecting politicians is not part of their mandate. Cayton is due to retire on February 14 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56. Burgos justified the appointment even Cayton has less than two months left in the service, saying he can still accomplish much during that time. “He can still do so much. If you are assigned to a specific position, you have to make do with that and work," he said. Cayton replaced Army Support Command chief Maj. Gen. Joshue Gaverza, who had served as the acting Army vice commander, in a concurrent capacity, after the retirement of Maj. Gen. Jerry Jalandoni last Nov. 25.- KBK, GMANews.TV