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Maguindanao Massacre Facts & Worksheets

The 2009 attack on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, known as the “Maguindanao Massacre”, was the world’s worst single-day murder of media workers.

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The 2009 attack on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, known as the “Maguindanao Massacre”, was the world’s worst single-day murder of media workers.

See the fact file below for more information on the Maguindanao Massacre or alternatively, you can download our 24-page Maguindanao Massacre worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

BACKGROUND

  • Andal Ampatuan, Sr., started building his political empire in the 1970s. He was appointed commander of a paramilitary unit during the Martial Law.
  • The Ampatuans eventually rose into a powerful warlord clan in Mindanao after he was appointed by President Corazon Aquino as Chief-of-Offices of Maganoy (now Shariff Aguak) in 1986.
  • He continued his political conquest by winning the Mayoral candidacy, serving in that role for 10 years (1988-1998), and he eventually became a governor in the 1998 elections.
  • Over time and under President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, other members of the Ampatuan occupied other government positions. Zaldy Ampatuan was the governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
  • Meanwhile, eighteen mayors in Maguindanao belonged to the clan – with the Ampatuan patriarch proclaiming “popular support” has kept him and his sons as representatives of the province.
  • Tensions in the province soon arose when Mangudadatu, also from a ruling political family in Mindanao, was running to end the 20-year rule of the Ampatuans in Maguindanao.
  • Witness accounts then testified that that members of the Ampatuan clan met several times to plan the killing of Mangudadatu.

THE CRIME

  • On November 23, 2009, Buluan Vice Mayor Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu invited 37 journalists to cover the filing of his certificate of candidacy (COC) at the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) provincial office in Shariff Aguak.
  • He was then forced to stay home after several death threats, sending his wife, Genalyn, and other relatives to lead the convoy.
  • Before reaching its destination, the convoy of six vehicles with 58 people, was stopped and abducted by 100 armed men.
  • The unarmed passengers of the Mangudadatu were then brought to the hills of Sitio Masalay. Andal “Unsay” Ampatuan, Jr., and his men shot the victims using high-powered firearms.
  • After receiving information that soldiers were on their way to the area, Unsay and his men fled the crime scene after ordering an operator of a backhoe owned by the provincial government to bury all the bodies and vehicles.
  • Mangudadatu’s wife, other female relatives, and supporters were among those killed, along with 32 media workers who were going to cover the filing of the mayor’s candidacy. Six others who were killed were just innocent passers-by when the crime happened.

THE AFTERMATH

  • Under intense public pressure, the administration of President Arroyo filed multiple murder charges against Ampatuan, Jr., his brother, Zaldy, and their father, Andal Ampatuan, Sr.
  • On November 25, all the Ampatuan members were expelled from the Lakas-Kampi-CMD political party.
  • The following day, Andal Ampatuan, Jr., surrendered but claimed it was the Moro Islamic Liberation Front who carried out the massacre.
  • Following President Arroyo’s declaration of a state of emergency in Maguindanao on November 24, she eventually put Maguindanao under Martial Law on December 4, 2009.
  • Authorities carried out a raid on a warehouse of Andal Ampatuan, Jr., and found more than 330,000 rounds of 5.56×45mm NATO ammunition, a Humvee, and an improvised armored vehicle. Twenty militiamen were also arrested.
  • As provided by Philippine’s Revised Penal Code, each of the accused faced 58 counts of murder. If convicted, they would be imprisoned from 20 to 40 years for each count of murder.

THE LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

  • All of the suspects, including Andal Ampatuan, Jr., Andal Ampatuan, Sr., and several other members of the Ampatuan clan, were charged with murder.
  • They pled not guilty, while the other members’ charges were dropped after presenting alibis.
  • Nearly 200 defendants and 300 witnesses were presented, and the court expressed its concern that the case may take too long to be decided.
  • In the following months and years, key witnesses were being killed by unidentified gunmen. Some were former employees of the Ampatuan.
  • Beginning in late 2014, 16 accused police officers were granted bail. 21 police officers were dismissed by grave misconduct for conspiring with the Ampatuans, while 11 others were suspended.
  • On July 17, 2015, Andal Ampatuan, Sr., died of liver cancer, so he was removed from the case.
  • Datu Andal Ampatuan, Jr., and Zaldy Ampatuan were denied bail and underwent trial throughout the Aquino administration (2010-2016) and the beginning of the Duterte governance (2016-2022).
  • Philippine Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra stated that the case was expected to be concluded on June 21, 2018. However, it extended to the end of 2019.

THE VERDICT

  • On December 19, 2019, Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 221 Judge Jocelyn Solis Reyes served her decision on the case.
  • In her verdict, the Ampatuan brothers (Datu Andal Ampatuan, Jr., and Zaldy Ampatuan) were convicted of 57 counts of murder and sentenced to reclusion perpetua (permanent imprisonment) without parole.
  • 28 other accused men, including police officers, were also convicted of of the same counts and sentenced to 40 years.
  • 15 accused were sentenced 6 to 10 years for being accessories to the crime.
  • 55 others were acquitted, including one of the main suspects, Datu Sajid Islam Ampatuan.

Maguindanao Massacre Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Maguindanao Massacre across 24 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Maguindanao Massacre worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the 2009 attack on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, known as the “Maguindanao Massacre”, which was the world’s worst single-day murder of media workers.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Maguindanao Massacre Facts
  • Acts of Violence
  • Facing Justice
  • The Quest for Justice
  • Elements of a Crime
  • In the Name of Justice
  • Political Dynasty
  • Life of Journalists
  • Editorial Concepts
  • Editorial Cartoon
  • Spread Justice
  • A Remembrance

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Use With Any Curriculum

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