By JOSEPH HOLANDES UBALDE
Interaksyon.com
A LAWYER for the victims of the 2009 murders of 58 people in Maguindanao fears that suspended ARMM governor and former Arroyo ally Zaldy Ampatuan, one of the prime suspects in the killings, has “regained influence” with Malacanang following his recent revelations.
Lawyer Harry Roque said on Thursday that Palace spokesperson Edwin Lacierda and Department of Interior Local Government Jessie Robredo may have provided the bridge for President Benigno Aquino III.
Roque earlier accused some cabinet officials, particularly Robredo and Lacierda of lawyering for Zaldy now that the suspended ARMM governor announced that he is willing to testify in the massacre and other cases involving then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
“While we were in the dark on how the dreaded clan may have succeeded at penetrating the PNoy administration, the statement and actuations of Lacierda now explains how this has happened,” Roque said referring to Lacierda’s earlier statement that the Palace is willing to take Zaldy’s testimonies.
“Lacierda should know that Zaldy precisely wants a bridge to the President only because he wants something in return for his exposé. It is naïve for anyone to think otherwise,” Roque added.
Aquino had earlier said he has sent an “emissary” to Zaldy to check his testimonies. Aside from testifying against his father and brother in the Maguindanao Massacre, the former ARMM governor tagged Arroyo in the massive 2007 election fraud. He is allegedly seeking to be a state witness following his recent allegations.
Robredo, who was rumoured to be Aquino’s emissary, denied the allegations and maintained that Zaldy merely narrated to him his side of the story.
Lacierda had earlier told Roque to apologize for his statements against Robredo and other cabinet officials.
“No apologies from my end,” Roque told InterAksyon on Thursday. “They should be the ones apologizing.”
The Concerned Citizens’ Movement on the Offer of Zaldy Ampatuan trumpeted Roque’s assertions and also echoed his fears about the suspended governor’s rebirth in the political arena.
“Lacierda and Robredo have virtually put fear in the hearts of these very crucial witnesses because this Zaldy Ampatuan whom they are going to implicate in the crime of the century has the ears of the President, has allies within the President’s circles, and that he can go scot free because he has tradeable information to barter for his freedom,” the group said in a statement.
“ These witnesses will now think ten times whether to continue to testify against Zaldy, or withdraw altogether as witnesses or censor Zaldy out of their testimonies for fear of retribution if Zaldy is allowed to go scot free,” it added.
Who’s afraid of Zaldy?
Meanwhile, Zaldy’s lawyer Firdausi Abbas said Maguindanao governor Toto Mangudadatu, whose wife and two sisters were among those murdered in 2009 is scared of the Amnpatuans’ return to power if ever his client is released from prison.
“Kasi pag may nakalabas, magkakaroon uli ng leadership ang Ampatuans at wala silang magawa [Should he any of them be freed from jail, the Ampatuans will regain their leadership and (the Mangudadatus) won’t be able to do anything about it],” he said on Wednesday.
Abbas also castigated Mangudadatu for using his wife and sisters as bait in 2009, when they were made to file Mangudadatu’s certificate of candidacy on Nov. 23, 2009. While
Mangudadatu’s relatives were on their way to the election office in Shariff Aguak town along with a convoy of reporters, about 100 armed men linked with the Ampatuans allegedly murdered them.
But Mangudadatu debunked Abbas’ claims and said it is his client who should be scared when the arm of justice reaches him.
“Why should I be scared of them? They were the ones who did the injustice. Why should I be scared?” Mangudadatu told InterAksyon.
He also denied rumors that he will threaten to kill the Ampatuans following Zaldy’s recent revelations.
“As you can see, it’s been two years since the incident,” Mangudadatu said. “Has anyone of them got killed?”