Ampatuans’ Ex-Child Assassin Speak-Up
Anthony Taberna (ABS-CBN reported) interviews Abdul
Abdul revealed a shocking testimony that murders were done by young boys in the service of the Ampatuan family. As a child assassin for the Ampatuans, Abdul said he killed no less than 100 people.
Abdul said he and 30 other young boys had been brought to a training camp in the mountains of South Upi municipality in Maguindanao, around 32 miles southeast of Sultan Kudarat.
According to Adbul, they were trained by Palestinians and Indonesians in combat tactics. “Para ring sundalo ‘yong training kasi iba ‘yong pagturo sa amin. Lahat nandoon na, parang paghawak ng baril, pagputok at pagtutok ng baril sa tao,” Abdul said.
From then on, Abdul said, murder is just an ordinary chore, a normal routine. He alleged that he carried out kill orders without question and without knowing whether the victims had done anything wrong.
“Hindi naman ako nagtatanong kasi nakikita [namin] harap-harapan. Hanggang sa kuwan na kami, hinaharap‚Äîkinakausap kaming lahat. [Kapag] may magtanong, patay agad.,” he said.
At this moment, Abdul is on his late 20’s and serving a 15-year sentence in Sultan Kudarat Provincial Jail on charges of murder. He has been on jail for 10 years. Despite of being jailed, the Ampatuans’ still give him mission. He claimed the Ampatuans would sometimes break him out of jail to carry out murders.
In one instance, he was sneaked out of jail to ambush another group of Ampatuan’s political enemies. Abdul said he shot and killed 3 victims right at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) headquarters in Intramuros, Manila on November 2, 2002. The victims at that time were Atty. Felix Lidasan and his cousin Armando Macapeges, along with the latter’s brother Jamal Macapeges.
“Tatlo ‘yon. Hinabol ko nga, hinabol ko pa. ‘Yong dalawa, on the spot, patay. ‘Yong isa, nasa ospital nang mamatay,” he Abdul.
Lidasan and Macapages were at the Comelec to follow-up an electoral protest against Matanog mayor Nasser Imam, an in-law of current Shariff Aguak Mayor Anwar Ampatuan.
Among his numerous exploits as a hired gun, Abdul said he could not forget the massacre of his town mates who refused to give up their land to the Ampatuans. The powerful clan controlled the political and economic powers in Maguindanao and its adjacent areas.
“Sinusunog ‘yong bahay. Nasasagasaan pati ang bata, matanda. Inuubos namin ‘yon. Walang makababa eh. Pero gabi, gabi namin ginagawa,” Abdul said.
In many of the murders, Abdul claimed he was accompanied by a certain “Major Mukamad,” who is allegedly Chief
Inspector Saudi Mukamad, leader of the 1057th Police Provincial Mobile Group, a police combat group.
Mukamad was implicated by witnesses as one of the perpetrators of the Ampatuan town massacre, according to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG). He has been relieved from his post. .
Abdul claimed Zaldy was present at the time of the murders.
Full story at ABS-CBN News
