A powerful Moro clan prepared huge bribes to try to cover up the killings of 57 people, including 30 journalists, in the Philippines' worst massacre, a witness testified at the murder trial Wednesday. Andal Ampatuan Jr, the main defendant, and more than 100 armed followers allegedly shot the victims in November last year to stop a rival from running against him for the post of provincial governor. The Ampatuan clan earmarked P50 million (P1.14 million), P10 million of which was intended for a member of then president Gloria Arroyo's cabinet, to get charges against them dismissed, Lakmudin Saliao, a former Ampatuan servant, told the court. “Andal Ampatuan Sr said to give money... to Dureza. Ten million to Dureza,” said Saliao, 33. He told the court he was referring to Jesus Dureza, Arroyo's former presidential adviser on Mindanao affairs sent to the clan compound after the massacre to convince the family to surrender a key suspect, the patriarch's son and namesake Andal Ampatuan Jr. “Ampatuan Senior said it will be in exchange for the freedom of Andal Ampatuan Jr,” said Saliao, a former personal servant to the patriarch. He said he did not know if any of the alleged bribes were actually delivered. Dureza denounced the testimony as a “fabrication”. “Anyway, I wait for my chance to testify and give my side in the Ampatuan case,” Dureza said in a statement to news agencies. The Ampatuans and 190 other defendants have been charged over the Nov. 23, 2009 murders. The Ampatuan family had controlled Maguindanao and, until shortly after the murders, was closely allied with Arroyo who cut her ties with them only after the massacre. Saliao told the court the Ampuan family also alloted P30 million for Magundanao board member Mike Midtimbang and P10 million for the provincial police chief Sukarno Dicay, now one of the defendants in the massacre. Saliao said the bribe money was 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.” Dicay told reporters after Wednesday's proceedings he was indeed offered a P10-million bribe, but said he did not accept it. “No amount of money could replace the lives lost in the massacre,” he said. Ebus also confirmed the bribe try but said he was offered only P5 million. He said he also rejected the offer. Saliao testified at the resumption of the murder trial at the Regional Trial Court Branch 221 at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City Wednesday. The witness said he overheard the Ampatuan patriarch talking about the alleged coverup budget with a close confidante in March, about a month before the government brought charges against the clan members. – SG In his testimony, Saliao also said that on the day martial law was declared in Maguindanao on Dec. 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. On the road, Andal Sr.'s son and suspended Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan called his father on a speaker phone, 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. 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 plan and decided to bring Andal Sr. to the Davao Doctors Hospital in Davao City. When they passed through military checkpoints, Saliao said he pretended to attend to Andal Sr. “When we passed through checkpoints, I would put mask on Andal Sr. to emphasize how sick he was,” Saliao said. At the Davao hospital Andal Sr. was confined at Room 314. “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 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, Dec. 5. “We still did not want them to arrest Andal Sr. but the soldiers punched me,” Saliao said. In his testimony, Saliao said Pantojan “coached” him to lie and press extortion charges against an officer at the Camp Panacan on March 19. Saliao said he filed a complaint against the officer. The case is pending before a local court in Davao City.
