INQUIRER.net
First Posted 11:21:00 01/04/2010
MANILA, Philippines—The government must show “full transparency” by allowing media to have full coverage and access of the Ampatuans, the suspects in the November 23 massacre in Maguindanao, a senator said on Monday.
Senator Rodolfo Biazon said this move will remove doubts that the powerful political clan implicated in the killings of more than 50 people continues to enjoy close ties with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
“The government must be transparent enough to prove that there’s no such special treatment to the Ampatuans. Allow, for example, the vigilance of the media people to be given the due course, hindi yung nili-limit (don’t limit),” said Biazon, chairman of the Senate committee on national defense.
The senator was reacting to an article of the Philippine Daily Inquirer that reporters covering the Ampatuans were barred from entering the compound of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) where the suspects are detained.
The paper also reported that the jailed Ampatuans have mobile phones, catered meals, and even someone to clean their cells.
“The PNP (Philippine National Police) and the government must give full transparency,” Biazon said. “The executive department must provide transparency to eliminate any doubts, to disprove (speculations) that the Ampatuans are supported by the military and the government.”
“Halimbawa, dapat makita itong trial, yung court hearing na naka schedule na gawin sa Camp Crame. Talagang special na mga nilalang ang mga Ampatuans dahil talagang naghanda pa ng court para sa kanila (For example, this court hearing in Camp Crame must be made public. The Ampatuans are really special because a court has been prepared especially for them),” Biazon pointed out.
However, without sufficient information to prove the alleged special treatment to the suspects, the committee chairman was not inclined to conduct a congressional inquiry on the issue.
“That indeed is a possibility…Kung may (If there is an) additional information about this, a resolution is in order,” Biazon said, although he pointed out that Congress might not have enough time to look into this.
While he agreed that the Ampatuans should not be given special treatment in jail, lawyer and senatorial candidate Adel Tamano said the suspects should also not be given “undue treatment because of the public clamor to punish them.”
“The Ampatuans should get the same treatment as other detention prisoners as mandated by law,” Tamano said in a text message.
“If other prisoners are allowed to obtain their own food—for example, because the Ampatuans are Moros (indigenous Filipino Muslims), they cannot eat pork and thus, it is reasonable that they provide for their own meals—then the Ampatuans should have the same right,” he said.
But to give them favored treatment because of their wealth, Tamano said, was “unconscionable and offensive” to the victims of the Maguindanao massacre.
Senator Rodolfo Biazon said this move will remove doubts that the powerful political clan implicated in the killings of more than 50 people continues to enjoy close ties with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
“The government must be transparent enough to prove that there’s no such special treatment to the Ampatuans. Allow, for example, the vigilance of the media people to be given the due course, hindi yung nili-limit (don’t limit),” said Biazon, chairman of the Senate committee on national defense.
The senator was reacting to an article of the Philippine Daily Inquirer that reporters covering the Ampatuans were barred from entering the compound of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) where the suspects are detained.
The paper also reported that the jailed Ampatuans have mobile phones, catered meals, and even someone to clean their cells.
“The PNP (Philippine National Police) and the government must give full transparency,” Biazon said. “The executive department must provide transparency to eliminate any doubts, to disprove (speculations) that the Ampatuans are supported by the military and the government.”
“Halimbawa, dapat makita itong trial, yung court hearing na naka schedule na gawin sa Camp Crame. Talagang special na mga nilalang ang mga Ampatuans dahil talagang naghanda pa ng court para sa kanila (For example, this court hearing in Camp Crame must be made public. The Ampatuans are really special because a court has been prepared especially for them),” Biazon pointed out.
However, without sufficient information to prove the alleged special treatment to the suspects, the committee chairman was not inclined to conduct a congressional inquiry on the issue.
“That indeed is a possibility…Kung may (If there is an) additional information about this, a resolution is in order,” Biazon said, although he pointed out that Congress might not have enough time to look into this.
While he agreed that the Ampatuans should not be given special treatment in jail, lawyer and senatorial candidate Adel Tamano said the suspects should also not be given “undue treatment because of the public clamor to punish them.”
“The Ampatuans should get the same treatment as other detention prisoners as mandated by law,” Tamano said in a text message.
“If other prisoners are allowed to obtain their own food—for example, because the Ampatuans are Moros (indigenous Filipino Muslims), they cannot eat pork and thus, it is reasonable that they provide for their own meals—then the Ampatuans should have the same right,” he said.
But to give them favored treatment because of their wealth, Tamano said, was “unconscionable and offensive” to the victims of the Maguindanao massacre.
