Signal up in 20 areas as "Urduja" moves toward Visayas
At least 20 areas were placed under Storm Signal No. 1 Monday night as tropical depression "Urduja" accelerated toward Visayas and is expected to make landfall over Leyte Tuesday morning.
The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said "Urduja" was estimated at 70 kms east-northeast of Surigao City as of 10 p.m.
In its 11 p.m. advisory, Pagasa said "Urduja" packed maximum sustained winds of 55 kph near the center and was moving west-northwest at 15 kph.
By Tuesday morning it is expected to make landfall over Leyte, and by evening it is expected to be 40 kms east-southeast of Roxas City.
By Wednesday evening it is expected to be 120 kms west-northwest of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro. The next evening it is expected to be 450 kms northwest of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro.
Areas under Storm Signal No. 1 include Masbate, Eastern Samar, Western Samar, Biliran, Leyte provinces, Cebu, Camotes Island, Bohol, Negros provinces, Aklan, Capiz, Antique, Iloilo, Guimaras, Camiguin, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Dinagat, and Siargao Island.
In its 11 p.m. advisory, Pagasa said "Urduja" packed maximum sustained winds of 55 kph near the center and was moving west-northwest at 15 kph.
By Tuesday morning it is expected to make landfall over Leyte, and by evening it is expected to be 40 kms east-southeast of Roxas City.
By Wednesday evening it is expected to be 120 kms west-northwest of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro. The next evening it is expected to be 450 kms northwest of San Jose, Occidental Mindoro.
Areas under Storm Signal No. 1 include Masbate, Eastern Samar, Western Samar, Biliran, Leyte provinces, Cebu, Camotes Island, Bohol, Negros provinces, Aklan, Capiz, Antique, Iloilo, Guimaras, Camiguin, Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Dinagat, and Siargao Island.
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The bodies were found hours after Buluan town vice Mayor Ishmael "Toto" Mangudadatu received a text message from his wife, Genalyn, at 10 a.m., that their convoy was blocked by some 50 armed men while they were on their way to file his certificate of candidacy for governor at the Commission on Elections office in Shariff Aguak town, Maguindanao.
Ishmael Magudadatu said that as of 5 p.m., the military has recovered the bodies of his wife, Genalyn and 35 others. He said his wife was raped and then killed.
The others who were found dead, according to Ishmael, were his lawyers Cynthia Oquendo and Connie Brizuela; Mr. Oquendo, the father of Cynthia; Bai Eden Mangudadatu, sister of the vice mayor; Rowena Mangudadatu; Manguba Bai Mangudadatu; and Farida Mangudadatu, the vice mayor's youngest sister;
Also kidnapped were:
* Journalists Ian Tublan, Leah Dalmacio, Gina dela Cruz, Marites Cabutas, Bart Maravilla of Bombo radyo Koronadal; Joy Duay; Henry Araneta of DZRH; Andy Teodoro; Bong Reblando of Manila Bulletin; Mac-mac Areola; Jimmy Cabillo; and Nening Montaño of DXCP;
* Supporters and staff of the vice mayor, drivers Rasul Daud, Eugene Dohilyo, Chito, Abdula Hajdi and Patrick Pamansan; Wahida Ali Kaliman; Farida Sabdula; Zoraida Vernan; Victor Nuñez; certain Unto; Zaida Abdul; Pinky Balayman; Ella Balayman; Rahima Piopo, who came from Palawan; Farina Mangudadatu and Meriam Calico.
Buluan town Mayor Ebrahim Mangudadatu said 20 bodies were initially recovered earlier but more bodies were seen scattered in the area.
Mangudadatu said some of the victims were buried. He said a backhoe, which was apparently used to dig the graves, was still in the area.
The backhoe even had "A Property of the Provincial Government of Maguindanao" printed on it, the mayor said.
The journalists with the group were there to cover the filing of the certificate of candidacy by Buluan town vice mayor Ishmael "Toto" Mangudadatu.
The 34 journalists, aboard three vehicles, were part of the convoy led by vice mayor Eden Mangudadatu of Mangudadatu town in Maguindanao, who was tasked by his brother to file his COC with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) provincial office in Shariff Aguak town, Maguindanao.
Vice mayor Mangudadatu of Buluan town earlier told the Inquirer by phone that he received a text message around 10 a.m. Monday, that the convoy was intercepted along the national highway particularly in the boundary of Ampatuan and Sharif Aguak towns.
Mangudadatu sent his wife and two sisters and several other women supporters to formally file his COC with the Comelec to avoid creating tension.
In Manila, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said that 21 bodies were recovered but the military said they were found in Barangay Salman, Ampatuan town in Maguindanao.
Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr., the spokesman of the Armed Forces said that out of the scores of relatives and supporters of Mangudadatu who were reported abducted, 21 have been confirmed killed.
At the time Brawner gave his statement, he said 13 of the fatalities were women. "But there is no indication yet in our report how they were killed," he told reporters at Camp Aguinaldo.
Mangudadatu said he sent his female relatives, hoping that his political enemies would not harm them. "I was expecting they will not harm them because they were all women. No security escorts were even sent to accompany them as I trust the police and military could protect them," Mangudadatu said.
Mangudadatu is running for a post held by the Ampatuans. Datu Unsay town mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., is reportedly the one eyeing to replace his father, Andal Sr.
The vice mayor appealed for sobriety from among his family and relatives.
"Let's trust Allah. We should maintain our composure," he said.
The convoy left Buluan town past 9 a.m. but the Inquirer along with Joseph Jubelag of Manila Standard Today and Paul Bernaldez of Bandera dropped by a hotel in Tacurong City where the journalists stayed overnight.
A hotel staff informed the three reporters that two motorcycle-riding men asked for the whereabouts of the media. They even tried to get the names of all journalists covering the scheduled filing of the COC of Mangudadatu. The hotel staff, however, did not give the names of journalists claiming they didn't have the list.
Sensing danger ahead, the three journalists decided not to proceed to Shariff Aguak.
The Inquirer tried to contact the journalists who traveled with the convoy but they could no longer be reached.
A text message sent by Bart Maravilla's mobile phone number even said: "cnung bart? Ala akong kila2ng ganun ee."
Maj. Gen. Alfredo Cayton, 6th Infantry Division commander of the Philippine Army, told the Inquirer that he had received a directive from the higher authorities to rescue at all cost the abducted persons.
Cayton said he dispatched two companies of soldiers to track down the armed who reportedly brought the victims to Crossing Saniag and Malating, all part of Ampatuan town in Maguindanao.
Earlier on Monday, Mangudadatu said there were sketchy reports that six of the hostages had been killed, one of them beheaded.
"As of now, we are at a loss," said the Buluan vice mayor, who is the nephew of Sultan Kudarat Rep. Pax Mangudadatu.
No one from the Ampatuans could be contacted for reactions.
Even the mobile phone of provincial election supervisor Estelita Orbase at the provincial capitol could not be contacted.
The atrocity happened while Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan and Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan were reportedly in Manila for an emergency meeting with presidential adviser on political affairs Gabriel Claudio.
Health workers in Maguindanao said some of them had to go home early to this city in trying to evade the very volatile situation.
Ponce said additional troops have been deployed to secure the Comelec office and other government facilities from possible retaliation from the aggrieved parties.
An insider from the Ampatuan clan said the Mangudadatu convoy was flagged down to check on firearms and explosives, but armed bodyguards reportedly refused to submit to the inspection, which caused a commotion.
On Monday afternoon, Cotabato City-based reporters dispatched to cover the hostage-taking had to return to base when told of the hazard waiting at the scene.
Told to back-off by government security troops were ABS-CBN and GMA television crew and other print and broadcast journalists.
Loreto Rosario of the Catholic-ran DXMS radio said "the situation is too hot and we were told to wait for it to cool-off."
A correspondent for television network GMA-7 said he was prevented from taking footage and "soldiers and civilians told us not to proceed. Delikado raw (It's dangerous)."
Lerio Bompat of ABS-CBN said their presence was just limited at the Capitol premises. The advice was not to go to the scene of the crime which is about five kilometers away from the Comelec office.
VICTIMS LIST:
Bart Maravilla of Bombo Radyo-Koronadal, Henry Araneta of DZRH-Cotabato, Bong Reblando of the Manila Bulletin, and Neneng Montano of radio station DXCP.
Reports from NUJP chapters in Mindanao also listed the following media persons, whose affiliations were not immediately available, as among the victims: Ian Toblan, Leah Dalmacio, Gina dela Cruz, Marites Cabutas, Joy Duhay, Andy Teodoro, Mac-Mac Areola, and Jimmy Cabillo.
Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr., spokesman of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), said in a local television interview that 21 bodies - 13 female and eight male - have so far been recovered from the Maguindanao massacre.
Brawner said the abducted victims included Mayor Mangudadatu's sisters Bai Farinah and Bai Eden Mangudadatu, the incumbent vice mayor of Mangundadatu town, also in Maguindanao province.
Toto said other abducted victims were lawyers Connie Brizuela and Cynthia Oquendo, Rasul Daud, and Faridah Sabdulah, and some 30 journalists. He said the female victims were sexually assaulted.
Heinous
"Karumdumal po talaga ang ginawa. Pinagdurog-durog ang ulo at yung mga pantalon nila binaba po, nakausli po yung mga ari ng babae (What they did was really heinous. The heads of the victims were bashed and the females stripped from the waist down)," he said.
Toto said he received a call from his wife about 9 a.m., informing him that their convoy was intercepted by armed men, reportedly followers of the Ampatuans.
Genalyn complained that one of her abductors slapped her, Toto said, adding that that was the first and last conversation he had with his wife since the incident took place.
"Masakit sa akin yung kapatid ko, asawa ko mahal na mahal ko. Meron pa ho kaming anak na siyam na buwan (It pains me to think of my sister, and my wife whom I love very much. Our baby is just nine months old)," he said.
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Ampatuans, Mangudadatus were allies for decades
The patriarchs of both clans— Datu Andal Ampatuan Sr. and Datu Pua Mangudadatu —were appointed mayors of their respective municipalities, Maganoy (now Shariff Aguak) and Buluan, Maguindanao.
The two men never lost an election and their childrenhave also entered politics and emerged winners, too. Many saw their political careers thrive in the positions they have held, among them, Governor Zaldy Uy Ampatuan of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and incumbent Buluan town Vice-Mayor Esmael Toto Mangudadatu, who is now said to be running for Maguindanao governor, the post to be left by Datu Andal Ampatuan Sr. to his son, Andal Jr.
The two families are related, at least, by affinity.
The late Datu Pua is the father of one of the victims of the massacre in Maguindanao on Monday -- Deah Mangudadatu-Dilangalen -- sister of Esmael. She was married to Datu Nasser Dilangalen, a cousin of Maguindanao Rep. Didagen Dilangalen, whose daughter is married to a grandson of the elder Ampatuan.
It was said that before he died of lingering illness, Datu Pua had left his politician children under the care and tutelage of the elder Ampatuan, the two old men having been very close friends.
In 2001, the Mangudadatus joined the band of local leaders supporting the candidacy of Ampatuan Sr. for governor of Maguindanao, against then incumbent Governor Datu Zacaria Candao.
A rift between the two families started with rumors that Esmael was running for governor in the May 2010 elections.
Their ties were severed when the Mangudadatus purportedly blocked the creation of the Adam municipality to be culled from the towns that they control in the south eastern tip of the province. It was also said that the proposed town did not meet the population required by law.
Adam is reportedly the name of the deceased father of Supt. Piang Adam, who had retired as police provincial director of Maguindanao early this year. The police officer is said to be loyal to the elder Ampatuan and to his son Mayor Datu Andal Ampatuan Jr. of Datu Unsay municipality.
As Adam and his relatives began establishing residency in Pandag town in the political territory of the Mangudadatus, he reported an incident of attack in late July 2009 by armed men, during which a close kin of the retired officer was killed. Subsequent police pursuit operations had some of the Mangudadatu followers disarmed.
The Mangudadatu clan is most prominent in Sultan Kudarat province, although it also enjoys some local political clout in Maguindanao. The following are members of the clan who have held various political positions at various times:
Datu Pax Mangudadatu
- representative, 1st District of Sultan Kudarat (2007-2010)
- governor, Sultan Kudarat (2004-2007)
- mayor, Lutayan, Sultan Kudarat (1988-1998)
- Datu Pax is the father of Datu Suharto and Ruth, and the father-in-law of Datu Raden.
Datu Suharto Mangudadatu
- governor, Sultan Kudarat (2007-2010)
- representative, Lone District of Sultan Kudarat (2004-2007)
- mayor, Lutayan, Sultan Kudarat (1998-2004)
- Datu Suharto is the son of Datu Pax, brother of Ruth, and the brother-in-law of Datu Raden Sakaluran.
Ruth Sakaluran
- mayor, Lutayan, Sultan Kudarat (2007-2010)
- Ruth is the daughter of Datu Pax, sister of Datu Suharto, and wife of Datu Raden.
Datu Raden Sakaluran
- mayor, Lutayan, Sultan Kudarat (2004-2007)
- Datu Raden is the son-in-law of Datu Pax, brother-in-law of Datu Suharto and husband of Ruth.
There are also Mangudadatu members who hold local seats in Maguindanao province:
Datu Ismael "Toto" Mangudadatu is currently vice mayor of Buluan municipality.
Bai Eden Mangudadatu is currently vice mayor of Mangudadatu municipality.
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