Political violence flares

Some 100 armed men abducted Monday morning the wife of a would-be gubernatorial candidate in Maguindanao, including two of her lawyers and 34 local media practitioners who were accompanying them in a six-car convoy.

Malacañang immediately condemned the reported abduction and directed security forces to restore peace and order in the area.

Those taken at gunpoint were Genalyn Mangudadatu, wife of former Buluan Mayor Toto Mangudadatu, a gubernatorial aspirant in Maguindanao, lawyers Connie Brizuela and Cynthia Oquindo, and local newsmen that joined Mangudadatu’s convoy in going to Shariff Aguak town, the capital of Maguindanao, to file election documents in the provincial election office.

Also with the group was Baluan Vice Mayor Eden Mangudadatu, sister of the former mayor.

The former mayor was set to file his certificate of candidacy in Shariff Aguak but instead of him, he asked his wife to file copies of his CoC, during which the armed men snatched the occupants of the three-vehicle convoy along the national highway.

Genalyn, according to Mangudadatu, was with Brizuela and 34 media practitioners, including Bong Reblando, Henry Araneta, Bart Maravilla, local newspaper publisher Andy Teodoro and print reporter Maritess Cablitas.

Also in the group from General Santos City were Victor Nunez, Joey Duhay, Ronnie Quirante, Marites Tubang, Gina dela Cruz, and Leah Dalmacio.

Six of the Cotabato City-based journalists, on the other hand, were named as Jenny Cabiles, Neneng Montano, Napoleon Salaysay, Ann Acosta, Val Cachuela, and Fernando Rain.

Joseph Jubilag, one of the invited newsmen supposed to go with the group, said his colleagues went ahead with the Mangudadatus aboard six vans because he and two others were using his own vehicle.

Jubilag said he had talked with Reblando at about 9:30 a.m. who told him that the convoy of six vans was cruising the highway along Ampatuan, the next town to Shariff Aguak.

“Ten minutes later, I could no longer contact him or any of our colleagues from Gen. Santos City. We and Toto (the gubernatorial aspirant) later received reports that the six vans were flagged down by more or less 100 armed men,” Jubilag said.

The Bulletin tried but fail to get confirmation from civilian and police authorities.

Even the mobile phone of Muslim Mindanao police director Paisal Umpa kept ringing but went unanswered in three separate dial attempts.

Toto said he was so worried about the plight of the invited journalists as well as that of his wife, sisters and other relatives because he received reports that all the six vans were razed to the ground.

He said he was also informed that six of the people belonging to the convoy were killed, two of them were journalists.

Deputy Presidential Spokeswoman Lorelei Fajardo said the police and military have been ordered to arrest the gunmen who seized the group.

“We strongly condemn this incident considering the elections are still far away. The campaign period has not even started and yet we have this incident already,” she told reporters in the Palace.

Fajardo said the reported abduction of a political group by another rival political clan in Maguindanao should jolt the government as well as the poll body “to tighten security measures to minimize this kind of incidents.”

She asserted that the government is trying its best to ensure peaceful and orderly elections especially since this will be the first automated democratic exercise.

“The police should immediately identify the people behind this incident to show the public that we don’t tolerate such violence,” she added.

Mangudadatu, the gubernatorial aspirant, in an interview over Catholic-run DXND in Kidapawan City said his last contact with his wife was around 9:30 a.m. Monday, an hour after her convoy left Buluan town around 8:30 a.m.

By 11:30 a.m., Mangudadatu said he received very disturbing reports that six of the members of the convoy were already beheaded by the armed men.

“I don’t know if my wife, Jijie, was one of those beheaded. The beheading was confirmed by our people in the area,” he said during the interview.

Authorities have yet to confirm the beheading reports. Initial attempts to contact the Maguindanao police, the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, and the intelligence community were futile as none of the officials have given information as regards the abduction and supposed beheadings.

The rift between the Mangudadatus and Ampatuan clan in the province intensified early in 2009 when Toto Mangudadatu declared his intention to run against Datu Andal Ampatuan in the gubernatorial race.

“I just want changes in the political landscape of Maguindanao that’s why I’m running,” he said.

Mangudadatu has called on authorities, including General Ompa, chief of the Maguindanao PNP and Maj. Gen. Alfredo Cayton of the 6th ID, and other military and police officials to help him rescue his wife Genalyn and 40 others.

“Nakababahala na ang sitwasyon dito sa Maguindanao. Sana makatulong kayo sa amin,” Mangudadatu told police and military officials in Maguindanao.

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