We, Myrna Reblando, widow of Alejandro “Bong” Reblando; and my 14-year old daughter, are executing this joint statement about the continuing threats to our lives after pursuing justice for the murder of Alejandro in Philippine courts. Alejandro, who was the correspondent for a national daily, the Manila Bulletin; a stringer for Reuters and Associated Press (AP), was one of the victims of the Maguindanao massacre.
The massacre that happened on 23 November 2009 was the biggest tragedy of my life and that of my whole family as well. There were 57 people who were murdered (58 in all but one body remains missing). I still cannot believe that my husband, Alejandro, was one of the victims of the massacre. When my son, Jude Almyr and I went to Barangay (village) Salman Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao, the Philippines, where the massacre happened to collect his remains we could hardly recognize his body as it was so badly wounded.
On November 24, 2009, a day after the massacre, my son and I went to the place of the incident in the early morning. Here, my son carried the body of his father and took it to the waiting vehicle of a funeral parlor. From what I have experienced just a few days after the massacre happened, I realized the lack of sincerity of the Philippine government to investigate and to take immediate action to resolve the case quickly.
Before arriving at the massacre site, I spoke to Alfredo Cayton, commanding general of the 6th Infantry Division, Philippine Army. He was responsible for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. He told me that he was a friend of my husband but when I inquired from him if there were any directives from (then) President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo regarding that incident he did not give a clear answer. He instead told me that, “This (the massacre) is a police matter. We cannot intervene. It is under the authority of the police.”
It was not surprising to me as well. I came to know later in my pursuit of justice for my husband that the political clan, the Ampatuans of Maguindanao, whom we charged in court for masterminding and perpetrating the massacre, with support from the local police, the military and the armed militias, were political allies of President Arroyo. The Maguindanao province where the massacre took place is where local, senatorial and presidential candidates are usually given assurance of winning during elections due to massive fraud. The Ampatuans and the former President are known to be strong political allies.
I later realized that these were the reasons why there was no immediate clear instruction from former President Arroyo on how to deal with the massacre; that there was no immediate action effectively and adequately to gather sufficient evidence to support the case in court; that they imposed a news blackout on the family of the victims; that there is a conspiracy among those in the local and national government to exonerate the accused; that they were giving protection to the accused (but for me they are the criminals) for purposes of political accommodation; that there was an attempt by Alberto Agra, former acting secretary of the Department of Justice (DoJ), to exclude some of the Ampatuans in the criminal charge.
(photo: Banner of Alejando “Bong” Reblando at their house)
The Office of the Ombudsman did not take immediate action to freeze the assets of the Ampatuans (like their mansions, luxury cars and condominiums) that were gained by ill-gotten wealth. All of these were based on the investigative research and studies of our lawyers on how the Ampatuan acquired their assets. Their wealth has been used to offer bribes to the families of the victims in exchange for withdrawing from the complaint or to be used a reward for anyone who could kill us.
We have already filed numerous cases, which included former President Arroyo with the Association of South East Asian Nation (Asean) but we did not obtain a favorable decision; we have also filed a disbarment case against Alberto Agra, former DoJ acting secretary, for his attempt to exonerate some of the accused; we filed a complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman and the Central Bank of the Philippines to freeze the assets of the Ampatuans; we have also asked the Court of Appeal of the Philippines to order that the three judges who were hearing the complaint that we have filed against the policemen at the National Police Commission for having been involved in the massacre to be withdrawn from the case for lack of impartiality, amongst other charges.
When I was the spokesperson of Justice Now! Movement, a group made up of the families of the journalists who were murdered, I have strongly and continuously criticized the wrongdoings, the corrupt practices of the Ampatuans and their political allies in the national government and exposed how rotten our system of justice has been in every media interview that I have. I was invited by different television networks and radio stations. I have also openly criticized former President Arroyo and former secretary Agra for receiving money from what I think are the criminals (the Ampatuans). I have also criticized former
Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez for her failure to conduct an investigation on how the Ampatuans have acquired their wealth and assets.
Due to my aspiration to seek justice for the murder of my husband and that of the other victims of the massacre, I attended and observed every court hearing possible; I testify in court about what I know of my husband and the massacre. My continued participation in pursuit of justice for my husband had given me knowledge as to how the system of justice must function in my country but from my experience it is otherwise.
For this, I openly criticized police investigators for failing to do rudimentary investigative functions, like failing to submit the ballistic report to the DoJ as part of the evidence in court for the prosecution over a year after the massacre happened. I did not spare even the lawyers who are representing the accused Ampatuans in their deliberate attempt to reduce the merit of the case.
In one of the court hearings, I shouted at them challenging them to a fistfight in open court when they implied that my husband and other victims could “have killed each other.” I also did not spare President Benigno Aquino III from criticism when he appointed Atty. Sixto Brillantes, former lawyer of the Ampatuans, as the new Chairman of the Commission on Elections (Comelec). I was openly critical of his decision because I am one of those who volunteered to endorse President Aquino for presidency in my aspiration that with the new leadership the Maguindanao Massacre would obtain some degree of remedy and to have the trial less politicized. I did not accept a single centavo in campaigning for him. I spent my own money when we went for political campaigns.
I strongly believe that because of what I have mentioned above, I have been the object of continuing threats, intimidation and harassment, which put my life, and that of my daughter, at risk. I have experienced numerous incidents of the persistent and imminent threat of murder. The lack of effective and adequate protection within the country frightens me. I fear that if my daughter and I continue to stay in the country, given the absence of protection, it would result in our deaths. Below are the incidents of threats that we have experienced.
At our home in General Santos City
Our home is where we also have an Internet shop, a small business from where we earn for our subsistence daily. Our shop, equipped with computers and Internet mateial, were using computers and playing games, is also inside our home. Our room, living area and kitchen are just adjacent to our internet shop.
On one occasion, when I opened the door of our house I saw a black ribbon. I am convinced that someone had placed the ribbon on purpose in front of our door to threaten and frighten us. In the Philippines, black ribbons are used as pins by the families of the dead to mourn the death of their loved ones.
An emissary came to our home asking whether I would have interest in speaking with the Ampatuans in exchange for withdrawing from the complaint. I was told that I could demand whatever amount I wanted. I know that the person wanted to act as a go-between in bribing me so I was extremely angry and told him to go away.
Once I also saw a dark tinted van parked in front of our house. Our house is located along the roadside. Usually, it is not common for vehicles to park in front of the house unless they do business with us. But at that time, the person inside the van did not alight from the vehicle. The signal light of the van kept on blinking even though there was no need of doing so as there was no road traffic there.
On another occasion, a tinted black SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle) also parked in front of our house. At that time, there was a woman who alighted. She was asking whether we had an American neighbour in the village owning an Internet café. When I told her that we had an American neighbour who had just settled in our village she told me that that ‘American’ was not the person she was looking for. She left without checking our neighbourhood.
On another occasion, there was a man who entered our Internet shop/home without removing his helmet and jacket. He sat in a big sofa in the waiting area supposedly waiting for an Internet user/player from inside our home. When my son asked him what his purpose was, he said that he was waiting for someone inside the Internet café. However, it frightens me because neither did we see him leaving with a companion nor did he remove his helmet and jacket after standing by for half an hour inside. In our hometown the weather is very hot, and for a person to wear a jacket and helmet at daytime is very strange unless he wanted to cover his identity. I strongly feel he did it to cover his identity as he was looking around our home.
Yet another time, four men came to our home introducing themselves as policemen. They were not wearing police uniforms but one could notice that they were carrying handguns because you could see them bulging at their waists. That day I was not home and my children informed me about it. They wanted to speak to me regarding the case that we filed against the policemen involved in the Maguindanao massacre. They told my children that the case would be heard in General Santos City although I know full well that we filed the complaint in Manila.
When I learned that they misled us that the case would be heard in our hometown in General Santos City, I knew that they were telling us that we would also be at risk and our movement in our hometown would be restrained even further. After this we conducted a background check to know who these four men were. We learned that they were actually not policemen assigned in General Santos City but rather in the nearby municipality of Alabel, Sarangani province. I developed further distrust and have lost confidence with the police authorities due to this experience, apart from the fact that it was also the policemen who took part in killing my husband.
Outside our home
In December 2010, while a friend and I were waiting for a taxi to go home we noticed a black tinted SUV with plate no. NOO-404 close to us. At first when it stopped parallel to us and the person inside opened the window and looked at me I thought it was one of my relatives, that’s why I also looked back at the driver. After several minutes, it parked in a nearby parking area but switching on a hazard signal (supposedly on an emergency stop) and the person inside kept the window open while looking at us. On the second pass it turned around and stopped again parallel to us. When we recognize that the driver of the SUV was still looking at us we rode a taxicab right away. We noticed that the SUV was really following us. So I spoke to the taxi driver that the SUV car was following us and he should mislead the driver of the SUV. After the incident we verified the plate number at the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and we found out that there is no registered plate number like this.
A close friend of mine informed me that I need to take extra precautions because someone will talk to me and offer 3 million pesos (USD 69,500) so that I stop my involvement in the case. And if I don’t accept the money it will be used as a reward to kill me.
A neighbour spoke to my son and told him that a former neighbour named Yoyong Morados was asking about my whereabouts. Yoyong Morados has a record of being involved in a crime of arson before. He went into hiding for few years and later joined a rebel group. For few years he did not return to our village. He was using a motorcycle with no plate number and his driver’s license had a different name written on it. My family had a suspicion that Yoyong Morados has a connection with the three million pesos for the value of my head.
Our request for protection was denied
After experiencing these continuing threats on my person, I approached the Department of Justice requesting them to provide protection for me, and my daughter, who lives with me. However, verbally my request for protection was rejected telling me that since I am not the key witness I could not qualify under the provision of Witness Protection, Security and Benefit Act.
It was not surprising to me because even the key witnesses, Jessie Upham, whom I helped in locating and convincing into testifying in court against the Ampatuans whom he formerly worked with, has been unable to obtain immediate protection and be admitted under the Witness Protection Program (WPP). Jessie is one of the key witnesses who took part in killing the victims including my husband, Alejandro. He was murdered before he could be admitted under the protection program to be able to testify in court.
For want of protection and security, I had to transfer my daughter from one school to another to avoid her being followed. Of all my seven children, only the youngest lives together with me. While four of my children already have their own families, two others, James Ryan and John Paul, are still single. Like my daughter and I, they are also hiding somewhere.
Informal and temporary protection
I was deeply concerned to avail myself of protection from the Philippine National Police because I know full well that those who were involved and are charged in the Maguindanao Massacre are themselves active police officers. I lost my trust and confidence in them due to this. Thus, to remedy my situation and that of my daughter, I approached President Benigno Aquino III in person asking for his help.
President Aquino nevertheless instructed me to approach Gen. David, former chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). But since Gen. David was out of the country at that time, I was asked to approach his subordinate, Gen. Bambaw of the Intelligence Service of the AFP, based in Manila. It was Gen. Bambaw who gave instructions to his man, Captain Benjie Lonogan, who then took me to Col. Costelo. In February 2011, Col. Costelo sent one of his men, Capt. Ed delos Santos, to our hometown in General Santos City to make arrangements for our security, after which we were given one security escort, Toto, for me and for my family. Toto came to our home upon delos Santos’s instruction but without any formal written orders from the AFP.
Therefore, because the protection that was given to me was informal, temporary and not official in nature, it placed me and my family at risk of having nobody take responsibility for my protection and security. For example, I have not seen any written order either from President Aquino or from the AFP chief giving official instructions as to the duties and the responsibilities of the escort provided to me; and they did not even properly introduce their person and his background to me. Their mere presence in our home has exposed me and my family to further danger, as we have to keep our guard now, not only from those who are continuously threatening us, but also even from our own escorts. We do not even know their full names, who they are and from where they have come.
We also do not know, because of the lack of clear and official instructions from the AFP hierarchy, about the condition and length of protection that was provided to us. We were later informed that they had come from the intelligence section of the military. Also, even our own escort, Toto was himself too frightened to stay at home to protect us. He openly told my family and I that, “I am not a Superman” (meaning he could not do it by himself); that is why a replacement escort had to be provided for. Toto was replaced by two other escorts, Roger and Samson.
What do our security escorts do?
Even though there are two escorts present at our home, my family and I have felt even more insecure. They are not providing security and protection in any real sense. They sleep on duty and openly told my family and I about one, Roger, who had previously worked for the Ampatuans,
I notice them frequently calling persons whom we do not know; and they usually do not inform me the content of the discussion that they have had with them. They frequently drink with our neighbour and ask from them who we are; and the circumstances about of our family; they kept on watching television and frequently leave from our home without informing us where they would be going and when they would be returning. I also learned that Roger had attempted to speak to one of the Ampatuans to act an emissary between us, after he learned that I had a threemillion-peso reward. He openly told me that he would get a ten per cent share should the transaction be completed.
During one of my discussions with Roger, I found out that he is a former bodyguard of Zaldy Ampatuan. I tried to trick him that I will accept the money that they wanted to bribe me with, but it should be 100 million pesos. Afterwards, I hadn’t seen Roger for couple of days without his informing to us where he would go.
When he came back he told me that the Ampatuans could not afford this huge amount of money. I was surprised because for me it was just a joke and my intention was to test if my escort was a former bodyguard of the Ampatuans. After this incident I became certain that he still has communication with the Ampatuans. When he left again without informing me, I decided to go back to Manila, because I felt so afraid.
On one occasion, I saw a white van adjacent to our house. I asked my two security escorts to check it. Inside the van were two men that introduced themselves as local police but, again, they were not wearing police uniforms. According to my security escorts they saw long firearms at the back of that van. When one of the passengers noticed what my escorts had seen inside the van, they covered them. My escort confronted the man covering the guns and told him while continuing what he was doing that they were just looking for someone who lives near our house. It was a few minutes before they left. When I asked my escorts what was the plate number of the van they just told me it was not needed.
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Myrna Reblando and her daughter left the Philippines to apply political asylum at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Hong Kong in May 2011. Despite the gravity and urgency of their case, however, they were informed that their application is “still being processed” over a year later.
