abs-cbnNEWS.com

Posted at 11/04/2010 10:55 PM | Updated as of 11/04/2010 10:55 PM

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/11/04/10/maguindanao-massacre-victims-kin-file-money-laundering-raps

MANILA, Philippines - Relatives of victims of the Maguindanao massacre filed on Thursday a petition with the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), calling for the investigation into personalities who allegedly received bribe money from the Ampatuan clan to cover up the carnage.

Romel Bagares, their legal counsel, said the petition was based on the testimony of prosecution witness Lakmudin Saliao, who claimed that former Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. gave P386 million to his supporters "to bribe government witnesses, tamper with evidence and commit perjury."

In their petition with the AMLC, the respondents included Jesus Dureza, the former presidential adviser for Mindanao affairs, who allegedly received P10 million in cash from Andal Sr. to ensure that rebellion charges against the Ampatuan family were dismissed, the petitioners claimed.

The Ampatuans have been accused of masterminding the massacre of 57 civilians, including members of a rival political clan and 30 journalists, on November 23, 2009.

Philip Pantojan and provincial solicitor general Cynthia Sayadi, lawyers of Andal Sr., allegedly conspired to cover up the massacre.

According to the Saliao, the other people who were allegedly offered money were former Maguindanao police chief inspector Sukarno Dicay, suspect police officer Rainer Ebus
, and Maguindanao board member Mike Midtimbang.

The prosecution witness said Dicay and Ebus got P10 million each to retract their statements against the Ampatuan family.

The AMLC was created to track down and seize money sourced from an unlawful activity, such as felonies and other punishable offenses, that are then transacted in a lawful activity to make the funds appear to have originated from legitimate sources.  - Report from Ina Reformina, ABS-CBN News