The Ampatuans, the Military and Elections in Maguindanao: The Ties That Bind

The Ampatuans, the Military and Elections in Maguindanao: The Ties That Bind

MANILA — When Maj. Gen. Gaudencio Pangilinan, vice chief of staff for operations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), said that the martial law recently declared by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in Maguindanao should be extended until the elections so that the military can teach the Ampatuans “how to run peaceful and credible elections,” he was either missing out on or conveniently forgetting one thing: that the military itself was in large part responsible for propping up the Ampatuans.

(Read story…)