HON. ESMAEL "TOTO" G. MANGUDADATU, MESSAGE ON MAGUINDANAO MASSACRE

Here's a copy of the message of Honorable Governor Esmael "Toto" G. Mangudadatu in verbatim. It's an honor to have this copy for as I believed that CCNTV Productions and I (my blogsite, www.laruylaruysinta.blogspot.com) has the only copy of this. My gratitude to his staff, he doesn't want his name to be mentioned. God bless Maguindanao...

 Assalamualaikum...

Honorable Secretary of justice, Leila de Lima

Honorable DILG Secretary, Jesse Robredo

Guests, members of the media, relatives, friends

Mga kapwa ko nagmamahal na nawalan ng minamahal, isang mapayapang araw sa ating lahat.

Ngayong araw na ito, dalawang taon nang nakalipas, limampu't walong pamilya ang nawalan ng asawa, ina, ama, anak o kapatid. On my part, madalas sabihin nawalan ako ng asawa, kapatid at tita. Ang hindi alam ng karamihan nawalan kami ng, hindi lang tatlo, kundi dalawampung kamag-anak... dalawampung mahal sa buhay.

Minsan, hindi talaga natin maiwasan magbilang.

Like today, we have been waging our fight for justice for two years. That's 730 days... 17,520 hours. Ganun katagal na tayong lumalaban.

At ganun katagal na natin sinasanay ang sarili natin na wala na

sila.

Pero hindi pa rin ako masanay. Hindi lubusan matanggap ng isip, puso at diwa ko na wala na talaga sila.

I'm sure this has happened to you. Naglalakad ako sa mall tapos may makikita akong damit at bigla papasok sa isip ko, "Uy, bagay yun kay Gigi." 0 di kaya makakain ako ng paksiw o tinola at sasabihin ko sa sarili ko na mas masarap pa ang luto ni Gigi na paksiw o tinola. Specialty niya yun.

Tapos matitigilan ako. Ilang saglit bago ko maaalala na wala na pala siya. Na sumakabilang buhay na siya.

And the pain comes back with the same intensity as if the massacre happened just yesterday. There are times the pain is worse, there are also times the pain is less. But there is never a day or an hour when there is no pain at all.

Little things, familiar places will trigger memories and set off the pain all over again.

          Gaya rito… This place will always remind us of the nightmare of November 23, 2009. At mahirap tanggapin ay kailanman hindi tayo magigising mula sa bangungot na yun.

I tell myself: move on, let go.

But when I go to court to attend the hearings, observe the proceedings and hear the arguments of the prosecutors and defense lawyers, I realize that I cannot let go. Maybe I can move on, but I cannot and will not let go.

Hindi ko na maibabalik ang umaga ng November 23, 2009 at pigilan ang convoy.

Hindi ko na mababalikan ang panahong sinayang ko na dapat naglagi ako sa tabi ni Gigi. Na sana ay mas mahaba pa kaming nagkuwentuhan. Na sana mas mahigpit ko siyang hinagkan. Sana mas matagal kong hinawakan ang kamay niya.

Lahat yun, hindi ko na magagawa. Pero may kaya pa akong gawin. May kaya pa tayong gawin.

We can still fight. We can continue to be vigilant and participate actively in the legal battle we have started.

At hindi tayo nag-iisa.

Secretary de Lima has been steadfast in her commitment to bring the perpetrators to justice. At the time when many were worried that some sort of deal was alledgedly being cooked up with one of the principal accused, she firmly and candidly said there will be no deal, there will be no compromise where massacre case is concerened.

Then there is DOJ USec Francisco Barran. He, too, has been diligent in keeping tabs on the criminal proceedings. At times, he even attends court hearings.

At huwag natin kalimutan ang mga procecutor, both the public and private prosecutors who have been tireless in their prosecution work in and off the court. Madalas nag-uuwi sila ng trabaho. Malaking bagay sa mga procecutor na makitang matatag tayo sa laban.

Governor Esmael "Toto" G. Mangudadatu deliver his message.

Last, but certainly not the least, is the President. PNoy has already said he will make sure justice is served. While many say he should articulate his policies clearer, there is no denying the support the office of the President has given and continues to give to the efforts to attain justice.

          Ang pangulo, ang DOJ, ang mga prosecutor, lahat sila, kakampi natin. To them, we extend our heartfelt gratitude.

          We hope the same commitment and efforts will be given to other cases of extralegal killings.

          We also hope there will be renewed genuine efforts on the part of our law-enforcement agencies, particularly the Philippine National Police, to tract down and arrest the other accused in the massacre case who are still at large.

          Alam natin hindi mangyayari yung gusto nating hustisya bukas o sa makalawa na. Mahaba-haba pa ang landas na tatahakin natin para makamit ang katarungan at managot ang mga may sala.

          Umaasa po ako na sama-sama nating tatapusin ang laban na nasimulan na.

I know it is easier said than done. But I also know that with the grace of Allah, of God, of the Divine, nothing is impossible.

The legal battle is very important for many reasons:

First, our loved ones do not deserve to die. They do not deserve the violent and brutal deaths they suffered.

Second, as often pointed out by media advocates, the massacre is an affront to press freedom with 32 media workers killed.

Third, this case is said to be the measuring stick of the efficiency and sufficiency of our criminal justice system. Dito masusukat ang takbo ng hustisya sa ating bansa. That’s why it is no surprise that November 23 has been declared the International Day to End Impunity.

The fourth reason is often overlooked by many. Ang massacre ay isang sampal sa ating demokrasya dahil ang layunin ng pagpatay sa mga kasama sa convoy, pati na rin sa mga motoristang napagkamalang bahagi ng convoy, ay upang pigilin ang pag-file ng aking Certificate of Candidacy.

The act of filing a COC is a concrete manifestation of our democracy, which gives us a chance to elect our political leaders. And we all know that free elections is one of the pillars of our democracy. Kaya ang massacre ay isa ring pag-aalipusta sa ating demokrasya. Sana po manatili tayong matibay ang loob sa laban para sa hustisya. Para sa Iimampu't walong taong pinatay. Para sa kalayaan ng pamamahayag. At para sa ating demokrasya.

Salamat, at muli, isang mapayapang araw sa ating lahat.