FT Chronicle

MANILA, Philippines – President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo put the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) under the hand of the national government yesterday and also gave Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno power to suspend any civilian and police officials in the region.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde confirmed Puno was authorized to relieve or suspend any official and appoint replacements to guarantee the sustained operation of the regional government.

“I would like to inform you that the President authorized Secretary Puno, or has given Secretary Puno or has delegated to Secretary Puno, full powers of supervision to the ARMM, which means he is now free to carry out his own recommendations,” he said.

Remonde said Puno is also empowered to suspend all officials of Maguindanao province and relieve all police and military commanders in the area.

He also added that Puno can appoint officers-in-charge to posts that would be vacated by any suspension order.

Meanwhile, Puno said the national government’s supervision of the ARMM would remain in force until the Maguindanao massacre is completely resolved and peace and order has returned to the region.

He would decide in the coming days whether to suspend all ARMM officials based on Mrs. Arroyo’s order to get to the bottom of Monday’s killing of 57 people, he added.

Puno said his instructions from Mrs. Arroyo are to ensure that investigators gather evidence to pin down the perpetrators of the gruesome murders.

Mrs. Arroyo issued the order to Puno following a closed-door meeting with him, Remonde, acting Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales, Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, and other security officials in Malacañang.

Police are preparing for the possible spillover of violence in Maguindanao to other ARMM provinces and nearby regions.

“We are on full alert because of the possible spillover of violence, and considering Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao and Cotabato City, which is also under my area, have been placed under state of emergency,” said Central Mindanao Police director Chief Superintendent Josefino Cataluña.

There are fears that there would be another bloodbath, this time triggered by the clan war between the Ampatuans, who are accused of being behind the massacre, and the Mangudadatus.

Lawyer Adel Tamano, a Muslim and a Nacionalista Party senatorial aspirant, urged President Arroyo to suspend the Ampatuans’ posts in the ARMM and said if the government fails to act on the killings, it would send a message to “these monsters” that they can get away with it.

“Although they (suspects) are not yet guilty… the prime suspect is an Ampatuan, maybe it would be better for the governor himself and his family members who occupy key provincial posts to go on leave to ensure that the investigation will be impartial.

“This massacre happened because we allowed people to maintain private armies and to have loose firearms,” he said.

Gates were closed at the NBI headquarters and security personnel were checking everyone and every vehicle entering the compound where Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. is confined.

National Bureau of Investigation Director Nestor Mantaring denied yesterday Ampatuan is being secured by private security guards with long firearms at the NBI detention center in Manila. No unauthorized personnel are allowed to enter Ampatuan’s cell, he added. Ampatuan is being treated as a high-risk prisoner, Mantaring said.

Photo and news via Philstar