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| Southeast Asia |
| Suspect faces prosecutors |
| 2009-12-19 |
| [Straits Times] THE main suspect in the Philippines' worst political massacre, wearing a bulletproof vest and handcuffs, was pushed by guards through an angry crowd on Friday to appear at a preliminary investigation hearing. Dozens of Filipino journalists, whose 30 colleagues were among 57 people killed in southern Maguindanao province on Nov 23, jeered Andal Ampatuan Jr outside the Justice Department building in Manila and shoved pictures of the victims' mutilated bodies in his face. At the hearing, he sat between two security officers, one of whom was armed with an assault rifle. Ampatuan, the only suspect indicted in the attack so far, has been charged with 40 counts of murder. He has denied involvement. State prosecutors called the hearing to receive additional complaints and evidence from investigators and victims' relatives against Ampatuan and 160 other people, including his father - clan patriarch Andal Ampatuan Sr - as well as several brothers, police officers and government-armed militiamen who allegedly took part in the massacre. The victims were travelling in a convoy led by the family and supporters of the Ampatuans' election rival when they were stopped, led to a grassy hilltop several miles away and killed. The massacre prompted President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to crack down on the Ampatuans, her political allies who have ruled the impoverished province for years. They were expelled from the ruling party days after the killings. |
| Posted by:Fred |