GMANews.TV - Wednesday, September 15
(Updated 4:02 p.m.) Andal Ampatuan Sr. attempted to go on a "bribery spree" on police and government officials, including an executive of the Arroyo administration, to avoid being implicated in last year's massacre of more than 50 people in Maguindanao province, a witness told the court Wednesday.
Lakmodin Saliao, a longtime helper of the Ampatuan patriarch, said Andal Sr. wanted to give P10 million to Jesus Dureza, the former presidential adviser on Mindanao affairs, to ensure that the separate rebellion charges against the powerful family will be dismissed.
"Ibigay daw kay Dureza ang pera kapalit ng kalayaan ni Andal Sr. sa pagkaka-release ng rebellion (He wanted Dureza bribed in exchange for his freedom)," said Saliao, who claimed to have worked for the Ampatuans for 18 years.
Saliao said the other people who were allegedly offered money were former Ampatuan police chief Inspector Sukarno Dicay, Maguindanao board member Mike Midtimbang, and suspect PO1 Rainier Ebus.
Saliao mentioned that the bribe money was allegedly ordered given to Dicay and Ebus for them to retract their statements against the family.
He also said Andal Sr. wanted to give Midtimbang money for "taking care of him while at Camp Panacan."
Saliao mentioned the bribery issue in his testimony during the resumption of the hearings on the Maguindanao massacre at the Regional Trial Court Branch 221 at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City on Wednesday.
The Maguindanao massacre, also known as the Ampatuan massacre, occurred on November 23, 2009 in Ampatuan town in Maguindanao province in Mindanao.
At the time, the massacre victims were on their way to file Esmael Mangudadatu's certificate of candidacy for Maguindanao governor. Mangudadatu, then Buluan vice mayor, won the gubernatorial post during the May 10 polls.
The 57 people who were brutally killed and buried in a mass grave in Ampatuan town included Mangudadatu's wife, his two sisters, journalists, lawyers, aides, and motorists who were witnesses or were mistakenly identified as part of the convoy. Rejected When asked during cross-examination by defense lawyer Marlon Pagaduan whether Saliao was aware if the people being bribed received the money, the witness replied: "Hindi ko po alam (I don't know0." Dicay told reporters after Wednesday's proceedings that he was indeed offered a P10-million bribe, but added that he did not accept it. "No amount of money could replace the lives lost in the massacre," he said. Like Dicay, Ebus also confirmed the bribe try but said he was offered only P5 million. He said he also rejected the offer. The flow of money, however, did not stop with police officials and local government officials. Saliao also recounted an incident when a certain Tadeo Sayson, a local prosecutor, visited Andal Sr. and received P5,000 for each signature that he affixes on several documents. Asked what documents Andal Sr. were having signed by the prosecutor, Saliao said: "Hindi ko po napansin kung ano ang pinipirmahan (I don't know)."
Millions of pesos given away Also according to Saliao, several months after Andal Sr's hospital arrest, the clan patriarch also ordered him to tell Ustadz Farid Adas, the clan patriarch's trusted man, to give Datu Odin Sinsuat P200 million on February 8. After the implication of his son Andal Jr., who was being groomed to become Maguindanao governor before the massacre, Andal Sr. apparently decided to instead pit Sinsuat against rival Mangudadatu for the gubernatorial race. Mangudadatu ended up beating Sinsuat in the May 10 automated elections by almost 13,000 votes. On March 21, a certain "Chow," an alleged emissary of Andal Sr's grandson Nanu Ampatuan, delivered P90 million to Camp Panacan, where Andal Sr. was taken after being arrested at the Davao Doctors Hospital. Saliao said the money was stored inside two luggage and three bags. "I brought the bags to Andal Sr. and pretended that they were his clothes," said Saliao, explaining how he got away from being inspected by the military guarding the clan patriarch.
Fake sickness In his testimony, Saliao also said on the day martial law was declared in Maguindanao on December 4, Andal Sr. attempted to flee from their mansion — which at that time was already being guarded by the military —to the mountains of Datu Hoffer. While on the road, Andal Sr.'s son and suspended Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan called up his father, advising him to return to the mansion and work out another plan. "Father, go back," Saliao recounted Zaldy as telling the clan patriarch on speaker phone in Maguindanaoan.
Andal Sr. heeded his son's request and returned to his house, where he, Zaldy, defense lawyer Philip Pantojan, lawyer Cynthia Sayadi, and Dr. Tahil Sulay agreed to fake the clan patriarch's health condition. "Nag-usap sila na dalhin si Andal Sr. sa Cotabato City para magkunwaring may sakit [They decided to bring Andal Sr. to Cotabato City where he would pretend to be sick]," Saliao told the court. Zaldy was left in Shariff Aguak, while the rest of the team headed for Cotabato City. The convoy included two ambulances carrying Andal Sr., Saliao, the doctor, and two nurses. Sayadi and Pantojan, meanwhile, trailed the ambulances on board a Toyota Super Grandia van. Along the way, the team changed its plan and decided to just bring Andal Sr. to the Davao Doctors Hospital in Davao City. For maximum impact when passing through military checkpoints, Saliao said he would even pretend to be attending to Andal Sr.. "Kapag dumadaan kami sa checkpoint, nilalagyan ko ng mask si Andal Sr. para magkunwari na malubha ang sakit niya (When passing through checkpoints, I would put mask on Andal Sr. to emphasize how sick he was)," Saliao said. The convoy arrived at the Davao hospital at about 6 a.m. of December, where Andal Sr. was immediately confined at Room 314. "Agad kami pumasok sa 314 room na hindi man lang dumaan sa admission (We got into a hospital room even without going through admission)," Saliao added. Saliao said he then went to the Gaisano Mall to buy clothes, underwear, and food for the clan patriarch. When he returned to the hospital, Saliao said he saw soldiers trying to arrest Andal Sr. Pantojan, who was watching over Andal Sr. at that time, refused to turn him over to the military without a warrant of arrest. The military decided to leave but returned the next day, December 5. "Hindi kami pumayag na kunin nila si Andal Sr. pero sinuntok nila ako (We still did not want them to arrest Andal Sr. but the soldiers punched me)," Saliao said. Coaching In his testimony, Saliao also accused Pantojan of "coaching" him to lie and press extortion charges against an officer at the Camp Panacan on March 19. "Sabi ni Pantojan, kasuhan ko daw Major Jimena na nanghihingi ng pera pang-landscape ng kampo. But that's not true (Pantojan told me to file charges against a certain Major Jimena for soliciting money for the landscaping of the military camp. But that's not true)," the witness said. Saliao said he still filed a complaint against the officer, which is still pending before a local court in Davao City. –VVP/RSJ/KBK, GMANews.TV
