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Muslim clan still powerful in Philippine massacre province
Its leaders may be in jail and its armoury diminished but the Muslim clan blamed for the Philippines' worst political massacre still casts a menacing shadow over its fiefdom.Impoverished residents in the southern Maguindanao province talk about the Ampatuans in hushed voices, cautioning visitors about informants and armed followers who can snatch anyone heard openly attacking them. And with nearly 70 clan members running virtually unopposed for various posts in Maguindanao's 36 towns in Monday's national elections, they are set to continue their dominance even without support from the national government. "To a large extent their power has been diminished but as a general rule, power still grows out of the barrel of the gun here," said Didagen Dilangalen, one of only a few Muslim politicians willing to speak out about the Ampatuans. Dilangalen said minor political opponents of the Ampatuans would launch futile bids to challenge them, but other large clans who are traditional allies would continue to protect their interests. Six members of the Ampatuan family have been charged over the November massacre, when 57 people travelling in a convoy were abducted and then executed on a remote road. The principal suspect, Andal Ampatuan Jr, allegedly led 100 of the clan's gunmen in the rampage to stop a rival politician, Esmael Mangudadatu, from running against him for the post of governor. Mangudadatu's wife and two sisters, along with 31 journalists travelling with them, were among those killed. Ampatuan Jr's father and namesake, who had been governor of Maguindanao for the past decade, as well as four other relatives, are among 196 other people in jail awaiting trial on charges of murder. That, however, has not stopped Ampatuan Snr from running for the office of vice governor, while Ampatuan Jr's wife is contesting the mayor's post in the town named after her husband. The local commission on elections said 68 Ampatuans were running for office, in what locals described an attempt to consolidate their power and protect their wealth in the aftermath of the massacre. Posted by: ryuge 2010-05-08 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=296315 |