The Philippine Online Chronicles

Security forces comprised of members of the Philippine National Police's Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) conducted a raid on the home of Maguindanao Massacre primary suspect Andal Ampatuan Jr. early Friday morning. According to their search warrant issued by Judge Francis Palmones of the Kidapawan City court, the police have reason to believe that high-powered firearms are being stored in the mansion.

Ampatuan Jr. is currently being held for allegedly masterminding the elections-related killing of 57 people and the attempt to bury their bodies. According to witnesses, a heavily-armed band of 100 men performed the abduction and execution of the victims.

The police also entered the home of Ampatuan patriarch Andal Ampatuan Sr. to search for weapons, but were initially met by Ampatuan Sr.’s lawyers who tried to block them.

So far, no weapons have been found in either house.

Weapons found in empty lot

The raids are due to yesterday’s discovery of a large cache of arms and ammunition in an empty lot near the mansion of Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Governor Zaldy Ampatuan, brother of the suspect.

An anonymous civilian had tipped the military off on the buried arms a few days after the massacre.

According to Colonel Leo Cresente Ferrer, commander of the Philippine Army's 601st Infantry Brigade, enough weapons and ammo were found in the basketball court-sized lot to arm around 1,500 men.

Among their findings were mortars, bazookas, machine guns, hand guns and a sniper rifle. Although Ferrer did not confirm that these weapons belonged to the Ampatuans, he pointed out that there were few personalities with the money and influence to keep such a large number of arms.