MANILA // At least nine members of a powerful warlord's clan are now being investigated after Monday's bloody massacre of 57 people including women and journalists in the southern Philippines.
The nine include the governor of Maguindanao, Andal Ampatuan, and members of his extended family who hold various positions from mayor to vice mayor in towns throughout the predominantly Muslim province.
Ampatuan has been charged with mass murder by the country's Department of Justice. He has ruled the province like a feudal landlord with a mixture of fear and intimidation for most of the decade. He is also a close friend of the president, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
The justice secretary, Agnes Devanadera, said that while the nine were not in custody, a stop order had been placed at all sea and airports to prevent them fleeing the country. Speaking at a press conference in Manila she said the nine had "varying degrees of participation either before, during or after the carnage, based on witness accounts".
She said the strongest evidence had come from the vice mayor of Buluan, Ismail Mangudadatu, who spoke to his wife just before the massacre. According to Mr Mangudadatu his wife told him Ampatuan Jr was leading the attack.
Her body and the bodies of the others were found in shallow graves on a hilly area just outside the provincial capital where they were heading to lodge Mr Mangudadatu's nomination papers for next year's national election where he was challenging Ampatuan Jr for provincial governor.
According to Mrs Devanadera, most of the women had been shot and may have been raped before they were killed. Earlier in the day the army announced that it had relieved two commanders of their duty from the province and had flown them to Manila where they would be investigated for "possible lapses in judgement" following Monday's outrage.
The prime suspect, Andal Ampatuan Jr, now under the protective custody of the department of justice in Manila, maintained his innocence yesterday, blaming renegade elements of the Moro Islamic Liberation front (MILF) for the massacre. He claims he was inside the municipal hall of Datu Unsay town where he is mayor at the time of the massacre.
Mrs Devanadera said she had at least 20 affidavits from witnesses who claim he was nowhere near the city hall.
Eid Kabalu, a MILF spokesman denied any involvement by members of his group, telling local media "this is a clear attempt to divert the issue".
In a statement read out from his cell decorated with Christmas lights, Mr Ampatuan, who is a Muslim, said: "I did nothing wrong. I came here to show you that I am not in hiding and that I did nothing wrong and I don't have anything to do with the allegations being hurled against me."
The two army officers relieved of their commands were Col Medardo Geslani, commander of the 601st Infantry Brigade and Major Gen Alfredo Cayton, chief of the 6th Infantry Division.
"Their relief will give way to an impartial and transparent investigation. This is also being done to erase all the doubts of the public as to the professionalism of these two officials," military spokesman Lt Col Romeo Brawner said in an interview with GMA7 television news.
According to Mr Mangudadatu both the military and police refused to provide escorts for his wife and those travelling in the convoy. He had sent his wife to file his papers believing good Muslims would not attack women.
Mr Mangudadatu filed his papers yesterday in the provincial capital which has been under military rule since Monday's massacre. He was accompanies by large numbers of armed military. The provincial capital is a stronghold of the Ampatuan clan.
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● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
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Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
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Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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His favourite book - 1984 by George Orwell
His favourite quote - 'If you think education is expensive, try ignorance' by Derek Bok, Former President of Harvard
Favourite place to travel to - Peloponnese, Southern Greece
Favourite movie - The Last Emperor
Favourite personality from history - Alexander the Great
Role Model - My father, Yiannis Davos
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Director: Juan Carlos Medina
Cast: Olivia Cooke, Bill Nighy, Douglas Booth
Three stars
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Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
