Maguindanao Gov. Esmael "Toto" Mangudadatu, suspecting ulterior motives, has rejected the idea of turning key massacre suspect Zaldy Ampatuan into a state witness.
"Malaki duda ko na may hidden agenda talaga si Zaldy, kasi 'di nya gagawin 'to," said Mangudadatu, a member of the Ampatuans’ rival clan and the opponent of Andal Ampatuan Jr., Zaldy's brother, for the Maguindanao gubernatorial seat in the May 2010 polls.
In an interview on GMA News TV's "Balitang Pilipinas" Tuesday, Mangudadatu said he thinks Zaldy has a "hidden agenda" in volunteering to testify against his own father and brothers.
"Mayroon kaming witnesses na napakalakas ng kanilang statements laban kay Zaldy Ampatuan," Mangudadatu said.
Andal Sr. and brothers Zaldy, Andal Jr. and Sajid are accused of masterminding the grisly November 2009 Maguindanao massacre.
Mangudadatu's wife and sisters and 32 journalists, were killed on Nov. 23, 2009 in Ampatuan town in what is considered as the most heinous case of political violence in the country. All told, 57 people were killed.
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Mangudadatu also said they have witnesses who can pin Zaldy, who was suspended as Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) governor after the massacre, to the crime.
Mangudadatu's brother, Khadafeh, an ARMM assemblyman, said the prosecution team should consult first with the families of the massacre victims before deciding on Zaldy's offer.
Like his brother, Khadafeh thumbed down the idea of turning Zaldy into a state witness.
"We do not need a witness coming from the masterminds, the culprits. We have many witnesses who can prove that Zaldy is one of the masterminds of the gruesome Ampatuan massacre. We do not need the testimony of Zaldy Ampatuan in the Maguindanao massacre," he said.
In an interview with GMA News' Joseph Morong inside Zaldy's detention cell in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City, the suspended Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) governor said he was willing testify in the case.
"Kung bigyan akong pagkakataon reding-ready po tayo na kahit sino pa man ang involved sa krimen na ito na karumaldumal na dapat papanagutin, reding-ready po ako," Zaldy said.
Lawyer clarifies offer
Attorney Redemberto Villanueva clarified that his client, Zaldy, has not sought "state witness" status. He said his client is willing to testify for the prosecution because he did not participate in the planning and carrying out of the gruesome killings of 57 people on a hilly portion of Barangay Salman in Ampatuan town.
"We never applied to be a state witness since consistently we said we don't know anything about the planning or execution." Villanueva said. He also explained that admission of guilt comes with becoming a "state witness."
Villanueva stressed that his client made on-cam statements about turning against his relatives because he also wanted to get some government protection. Like the massacre victims, Zaldy's family already suffered so much due to the incident, the legal counsel said.
According to Villanueva, his client also wants to give testimony so "admissible confession" can be extracted from other accused individuals.
"These confessions of other inmates would [then] be corroborated by other independent evidence. They are more credible and Zaldy has their affidavits," Villanueva said.
Villanueva urged prosecutors to give Zaldy's testimony the importance it deserves, rather than "sink or swim with the testimonies on conspiracy of Lakmodin Saliao which are contradicted by documentary evidence."
Saliao, a long-time helper of the Ampatuans, broke away from the clan and eventually testified in court on how the accused planned and carried out the attack on the electoral convoy of Mangundadatu — the opponent of Andal Jr. for Maguindanao’s gubernatorial seat in the May 2010 elections. — With a report by Mark Merueñas/ KBK/ ELR/ VS
