by CAROLYN O. ARGUILLAS
“Mansion of Datu Andal Ampatuan, Sr. in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao. Note the GI sheet covering a portion of the fence’s grills. This was done after the massacre.” PHOTO/Carolyn O. Arguillas/MindaNews
Until their detention, the principal suspects in the murder of Neneng and at least 57 others on November 23, 2009 lived in mansions in the country’s third poorest province, in neighboring cities, and even in Metro Manila.
They traveled with a retinue of heavily armed escorts in a convoy of black SUVs, flew business class, and paid the equivalent of at least two business-class tickets for the handling fees of their bodyguards’ guns flown on board (and several thousands of pesos more for their bodyguards’ tickets).
Each of their purchase, including those of multimillion-peso lots and luxury vehicles, was reportedly paid for in cold cash.