The reason why was obvious: the Ampatuan clan were not only members of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s party, Ampatuan Sr. was a key ally who had delivered vital block votes that gave Arroyo a spurious majority in the 2004 election she stole. In the infamous “Hello, Garci” phone call recordings during vote counting that were later leaked to the press, Comelec commissioner Virgilio Garcillano assured her excellency that they would have no problems in Maguindanao.1 “Garci” was right about that: more than 140,000 of the 1 million vote margin she demanded came from that one province (“The Ampatuans, the Military and Elections in Maguindanao: The Ties That Bind,” Bulatlat, 14 December). GMA owed the Ampatuans, big time.
Ito ay dahil sa ang mga Ampatuan ay hindi lang kapartido ni Arroyo, subalit sila mismo ay responsable sa pag-deliver ng mga boto upang manalo ang buong tiket ni Arroyo noong eleksyong 2004. Matatandaan ang “Hello Garci” na phone call recordings ni Arroyo na ini-leak sa midya, pinangakuan ni Virgilio Garcillano, na noo’y isa sa mga Comelec Commissioner sa Mindanao, na sigurado na ang Maguindanao. At hindi nagkamali si Madam President: mahigit sa 140, 000 sa tinatayang 1 milyong botong lamang ng tiket ni Arroyo ay nanggaling sa Maguindanao (“The Ampatuans, the Military and Elections in Maguindanao: The Ties That Bind,” Bulatlat, Disyembre 14).Kalaunan, sumuko si Ampatuan Jr, upang mabuhusan ng tubig na malamig ang nagbabagang galit ng mga tao.