Maguindanao Massacre witness killed, another wounded in ambush

By FERDH CABRERA and ELIZABETH MARCELO, GMA News

Published November 19, 2014 1:21pm

COTABATO CITY—An alleged former aide of Maguindanao Massacre suspect Andal Ampatuan Jr. was killed while another was injured after they were ambushed in Shariff Aguak town on Tuesday.

The incident happened less than a week before the commemoration of the fifth anniversary of the massacre that killed 58 people, including 32 journalists, in the bloodiest election-related violence in Philippine history.

Police Senior Inspector Archie Pajaro, chief of the Shariff Aguak police, identified the fatality as Dennis Sakal, who is said to be a former driver of the former mayor of Datu Unsay, Maguindanao.

Sakal would have turned witness in the trial against the Ampatuan clan if he was able to sign an affidavit about his Andal Jr.'s involvement in the crime.

Butch Saudagal, an alleged former bagman of Andal Jr., was severely injured in the ambush and is said to be in an undisclosed hospital for treatment.

Investigation showed the two were in a "payong-payong" tricycle when armed men fired at them in the a remote village of Bagong in Shariff Aguak around 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday.

Threats from Ampatuans

In an interview aired on GMA News TV's “Balita Pilipinas” on Wednesday, Saudagal said he and Sakal were already on their way to the court to submit their affidavits when the incident happened.

“Napirmahan na po namin yung affidavit namin. Kaso nga lang po, hindi kami pinalad, tinambangan po kami sa daan,” Saudagal said.

Saudagal also said that he and Sakal has been receiving threats since last week.

Saudagal said the threats were from Bae Rebecca Ampatuan and Datu Pandag Ampatuan chilren of former Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr.

Andal Sr. is also a primary suspect in the Maguindanao Massacre

“Paglapit ko bigla po akong sinampal ni Bae Rebecca Ampatuan at pinagmumura. Bakit daw ako nagpagamit at nagtestigo sa Maguindanao Massacre. Binantaan niya po ako na 'pag hindi ako tumigil, ipapabaril daw po niya ako. Tapos bigla na po naglabas si Datu Pandag Ampatuan ng baril,” Saudagal recounted.

Saudagal said he and Sakal also received another threat from acting Shariff Aguak vice mayor Anhara Ampatuan, nephew of Andal Sr., on Monday.

“Ang panawagan ko po ay matulungan ako ng kinauukulan. Kita niyo naman po ang kalagayan ko. Hindi pa po ako maoperahan dahil kulang sa budget,” Saudagal said.

Condemnation

Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu condemned this latest attack on massacre witnesses.

Mangudadatu's wife and several other loved ones were among those who were killed in the dastardly crime.

“That’s is why I cautioned them to be extra careful in their everyday dealings, the suspects are desperate enough to find way to strike against those who will put them down”, Mangudadatu said. when asked about his reaction.

Senior Superintendent Rodelio Jocson, chief of the Maguindanao police, said the PNP has identified the suspects based on the statements provided by the witnesses.

Malacañang on Wednesday deplored the killing of a witness in the Maguindanao massacre case.

At a press briefing, deputy presidential spokesperson Undersecretary Abigail Valte also offered sympathies to the family of the slain witness, Dennis Sakal.

"It does not help the case and also it does not help the morale of the other witnesses," Valte said.

The National Press Club on Wednesday accused the government of being lax in ensuring the safety of the witnesses.

“It is with extreme grief and disappointment that another vital witness in the gruesome Ampatuan massacre case was lost in an ambush staged by minions of the suspects in the worst attack against press freedom in the country,” the NPC said in a press statement.

“This latest attack is a mockery of justice and an arrogant display of the perpetrators’ ability to take advantage of our frail justice system’s loopholes,” the NPC said.

The group also urged the government to hasten its efforts in arresting the other suspects in the massacre.

“The incident only shows how lax government is in terms of ensuring the protection of these witnesses. Law enforcement agencies and the government prosecution panel should come up with a fool proof mechanism to protect them and the best way to do this is to pursue and arrest the suspects who remain at large, all 100 of them,” the NPC said.

Defense witnesses?

Meanwhile, National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) Vice chair Joseph Alwyn Alburo said the group was looking deeper into the incident as there were indications that Sakal and Saudagal were supposed to be the witnesses of the defense.

“The prosecution provided us with an updated list of all the witnesses that they have presented in court and Sakal and Saudagal's names were not in the list. We must also note that the prosecution has already rested its case against the accused, meaning tapos na sila with the presentation of evidence. It is now the turn of the defense to present their counter evidence,” Alburo told GMA News Online in a phone interview.

“So maaring natunugan ng mga Ampatuan ng babaliktad sila (Sakal and Saudagal),” Alburo said.

He, however, said that the NUJP also condemned the killing, as the testimony of Sakal could have been vital to the case.

“We are very much in rage by the brazenness of the killing which was done in broad daylight. Klaro na planned ito, and that it was done by people whose motivation was to prevent the testimony of a significant witness,” Alburo said.

“At the rate that the case is dragging, any testimony from a witness is very important, especially from a person who was close to the primary suspect,” Alburo said. —with a report from Andreo Calonzo/NB, GMA News

Tags: maguindanaomassacre