Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. submits self to government inquest proceeding

By Noel Y. Punzalan

COTABATO CITY, Nov. 26 – Datu Unsay, Maguindanao Mayor Datu Andal Ampatuan Jr. was received by Presidential Adviser for Mindanao Jesus Dureza around 11:30 a.m. Thursday after the former turned himself in for an inquest proceeding in connection with the November 23 massacre in the outskirts of Ampatuan town of the same province.

At least 57 bodies, composed of two female lawyers, over 30 journalists and members of the Mangudadatu family were dug up at a mass grave at Barangay Salman in Ampatuan town the past several days.

The victims were on their way to file the certificate of candidacy for Maguindanao governor of Buluan Vice Mayor Ismael Mangudadatu at the Commission on Elections provincial office in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao, when stopped by some 100 armed men allegedly led by the mayor.

The mayor is being pitted by the Ampatuan clan against Mangudadatu for the provincial gubernatorial post in connection with the 2010 polls.

The mayor is the son of Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. and brother of Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Governor Datu Zaldy Uy Ampatuan.

The ARMM governor personally handed over his brother to Dureza at the grounds of the Maguindanao Provincial Capitol and was ferried by a helicopter towards the General Santos City Airport for a trip to Camp Crame in Manila.

The turnover proceeding was relatively calm and peaceful. (PNA)

LAP/NYP/

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