Gilberto Teodoro Jr., the administration and Lakas-Kampi-CMD party’s standard bearer, urged the AFP authorities to file charges against military men liable in providing firearms to the Ampatuan clan. The Ampatuans, as we all know, are the alleged masterminds of the November 23 heinous massacre in Maguindanao.
“The military officers responsible for the unlawful diversion of the government firearms and ammunitions must be punished,” former secretary Gibo Teodoro told reporters Tuesday.
The administration’s presidential bet also stated that the AFP should unveil the outcomes of its investigation into the said activity of military weaponry. The Arm Forces of the Philippines asserts that the Ampatuans had kept a huge number of firearms totaling to 1,500 in their private armory. Also, the 900 weapons had been accounted during the declaration of martial law in Maguindanao in early December 2009.
A number of the recovered weapons when the government placed Maguindanao under martial law after the inhumane killings of 57 people in the province, it was reported that these weapons were sealed with figures that read “Department of National Defense (DND) Arsenal. Philip Pantojan, A lawyer of the Ampatuan clan, wants Gibo Teodoro charged for allegedly allowing the Ampatuans’ private army to get weapons under his authority as defense secretary. However, there was no solid evidence and it was just a strong allegation to Teodoro.
On the other hand, Teodoro’s camp strongly contradicted the accusations in arming the Ampatuan clan. Gibo explained that Pantojan’s claims were “without basis.” Also, Teodoro urged AFP Chief Gen. Victor Ibrado to guarantee that the people’s trust in the military institution continues despite the different rumors being thrown against the presidential candidate.
