November 24, 2009

FLAG STATEMENT ON THE MAGUINDANAO MASSACRE

The FREE LEGAL ASSISTANCE GROUP strongly condemns the barbaric

murder of civilians, media people, and lawyers-Concepcion Brizuela and
Cynthia Oquendo on November 23, 2009 in Datu Abdullah Sangki,
Maguindanao. According to media wires, they were accompanying Genalyn
Mangudadatu, wife of Buluan Town Vice Mayor Ishmael Mangudadatu,
who would be filing her husband’s certificate of candidacy for governor of
Maguindanao at the local Comelec Office in Shariff Aguak in Maguindanao.

This heinous incident truly subverts our democratic and electoral processes
and the rule of law. The group was about 43 people in a convoy when about
100 armed men way-laid and abducted them. Just three (3) days after the
start of the filing of candidacy and even when the campaign period has not
yet started, a pre-election violence has already claimed their lives this early.

It is no secret that political warlords in this part of Mindanao maintain

private armies. They even used the local police force to protect their families
than the community they are supposed to serve and protect. The so-called
“warlordism” in Mindanao has long been with us and has existed without
hindrance from government.

The Free Legal Assistance Group calls on the government, its police force
and its armed forces to dismantle all these private armies now. These
warlords and their private armies have no place in our democracy and in the
conduct and exercise of a free, clean and peaceful election.

The Free Legal Assistance Group joins the Union of Peoples Lawyers of
Mindanao (UPLM), the IBP Davao City Chapter, the National Union of
Journalists of the Phils. (NUJP) and other media and law organizations in
condemning this incident.

The Free Legal Assistance Group further demands that those responsible of
should be brought to the bars of justice. DISMANTLE THE MINDANAO
WARLORDS AND THEIR PRIVATE ARMIES NOW.

FREE LEGAL ASSISTANCE GROUP

Southern Mindanao Region
By:

(SGD)
MANUEL P. QUIBOD
Regional Coordinator