Manila (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Andal Ampatuan Sr pleaded "not guilty" to charges of masterminding the November 2009 massacre in Maguindanao. The powerful clan leader and former governor of the province, located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in the southern Philippines, is accused of ordering the massacre of 57 people, including journalists and political opponents. His son, Andal Jr, is alleged to have led the gunmen who ambushed the group. Lawyers for the victims say the legal process has been frustratingly slow. When the head of the Ampatuan clan gave his plea, the courtroom erupted in whistles and screams from the relatives of those killed. "It was the first time I saw him,” said Editha Tiamzon, whose husband was killed in the massacre. “He's not as old and as sickly as they claim.”
Analysts and political experts point out that the trial in Manila is seen as an "important test" to assess the country’s legal system. Often in the past there had been a culture of impunity for criminals with political connections. Ampatuan Sr ruled the province and was a close ally of former Filipino President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, which was important in terms of votes.
The massacre of Maguindanao, on 23 November 2009, triggered a wave of outrage and condemnation across the country. Some one hundred people attacked the election convoy of Esmael Mangudadatu’s family who, along with a group of journalists, were visiting some areas of the province to promote his candidacy for governor. 57 people died in the assault - including at least 30 journalists or members of the media - in what is considered "the worst case of political violence" in the history of the archipelago.
The judges have arraigned several members of the Ampatuan clan: Andal Ampatuan Jr, his former governor father, an uncle and three brothers, along with 191 officials including police, soldiers and militia members. But there are currently more than 130 suspects at large. In May 2010, Esmael Mangudadatu was elected governor. He had lost his wife, several sisters and other close relatives or supporters in Maguindanao massacre.