SUMMARY
The Ampatuan militia is the private army of the Ampatuan family, led by Andal Ampatuan Sr. The Ampatuans have been allied with the Arroyo-government and have controlled large parts of the Maguindanao province on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao.
The Ampatuans have been based in Maguindanao for centuries and have been controlling the political power in the province during the last decade. During the 1980s and 1990s, Andal Ampatuan Sr was the mayor of Maganoy city, later renamed Shariff Aguak after the Muslim preacher who first brought Islam to the area and who the Ampatuans claim to be related to. In 2001, Andal Ampatuan Sr. was elected governor of Maguindanao province. He was re-elected in 2004 and 2007, and managed to extend his and his family’s influence in the region. In 2005, Andal Sr.’s son was elected governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), a fact that further strengthened the family’s power.
In the 2004 presidential elections, the Ampatuans supported Gloria Arroyo, and helped her win the elections. In return, Arroyo gave the Ampatuan family more political power and allowed them to create their own private army, the Ampatuan militia. The militia consisted of around 2400 armed men, with sophisticated weapons such as Israeli-made assault rifles.
For the 2010 elections, Andal Sr. was not allowed to stand for governor as he had already been elected three times. He planned for his eldest son, Andal Ampatuan Jr. to become the next governor of Maguindanao province. When a previous ally, the head of the Mangudadatu family, decided to file his candidacy, Andal Sr. reportedly became furious and planned an attack on Toto Mangudadatu.
After the 23 November 2009 massacre of Mangudadatu’s family and friends, as well as journalists accompanying them, nearly 200 members of the Ampatuan family were arrested and charged with murder. In the elections that followed, Toto Mangudadatu won and became the new governor of Maguindanao province.
The Ampatuan militia has been involved in the one-sided category of UCDP organised violence.
