DAGUPAN CITY, Philippines鈥擵ice President Jejomar Binay was booed for claiming he supports the dismantling of private armed groups even though he has allied with a suspect in the grisly Maguindanao massacre.
During the presidential debate at the Phinma-University of Pangasinan, Binay was asked about his position on the dismantling of private armed groups during the 鈥渇ast talk鈥� segment of the debate.
鈥淏ubuwagin ba ang private armed groups?鈥� host Karen Davila asked Binay.
鈥淵es, yes of course,鈥� Binay said.
鈥淜ahit naging alyado niyo si Sajid Ampatuan, suspect ng Maguindanao massacre?鈥� Davila said.
The crowd booed at Binay, who said he lamented the reaction of the audience.
He then went on to defend the Ampatuan son and said the latter was granted bail by the court because of weak evidence pinning him in the massacre.
鈥淢ga kababayan, nakakalungkot ang reaksyon niyo. 鈥榊ung Ampatuan, tinaas ko ang kamay. Wala siya sa pagkakataon na nu鈥檔g pangyayari ay siya ay nahabla,鈥� Binay said.
During his campaign rally in Maguindanao on April 5,聽Binay聽raised the hands of Sajid in endorsing his mayoralty bid in Shariff Aguak, a stronghold of the聽Ampatuans.
搁贰础顿:听Binay supports mayoralty bid of Sajid Ampatuan
In 2015, Sajid was ordered released after paying P11.6 million bail or P200,000 for each of the 58 counts of murder for the 58 persons, 32 of whom were journalists, who were gunned down by the聽Ampatuans鈥� alleged private army and buried in a shallow grave at a hilltop in聽Ampatuan, Maguindanao on Nov. 23, 2009.
The massacre came to be known as the single deadliest attack on journalists and the worst election-related violence in the country.
Sajid was the first聽Ampatuan聽to be out on bail. The聽Ampatuan聽patriarch Andal Ampatuan聽Sr. died of heart attack in July 2015.
搁贰础顿:听Andal聽Ampatuan聽Sr. is dead
Sajid鈥檚 brothers who are still detained over their alleged involvement in the massacre are former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao governor Zaldy, former Shariff Aguak Mayor Anwar Sr., and former Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Jr.
UNA spokesperson Mon Ilagan earlier said the vice president endorsed Sajid because the party鈥檚 gubernatorial bet in Maguindanao Datu Ali Midtimbang backed Sajid鈥檚 mayoralty bid. IDL