Journalists’ musical concertand A tribute to fallen comrades

BULUAN, Maguindanao – The 6th
year anniversary of the Maguindanao massacre on Monday was capped by a musical concert
here in the evening, a fitting tribute to slain journalists and other victims
of manslaughter.

Victims’ relatives, led by Maguindanao
Gov. Esmael Toto Mangudadatu, were entertained by local musical performers,
including a massacre victim that never was” – Joseph Jubelag.

More than a hundred relatives, friends
and media persons witnessed the two hour long show by journalists-musicians, a
fitting tribute to hardworking members of the fourth state who were mercilessly
killed while performing their duties as story tellers.”

They may be gone and nobody will tell
their stories but there were survivors” and well-meaning individuals who went against
the tide” during the heydays of the Ampatuans and told the world of what
actually happened on the fateful Nov. 23, 2009.

Jubelag was among those who covered one
of the biggest news story at that time – filing of candidacy of then Buluan Vice
Mayor Esmael Toto Mangudadatu, the first to challenge the leadership of the
Ampatuans in Maguindanao.

Jubelag, a Gen. Santos City-based
journalist and two others opted to stay behind the pack of journalists that accompanied
Genalyn Mangudadatu, the governor’s wife, in filing his candidacy in Shariff
Aguak. The reasonand Jubelag and colleagues suffered abdominal disorders and had
to return to the hotel to discharge.

It was during this time when the news
broke out about the alleged kidnapping of journalists and the convoy from
Buluan, Maguindanao.

Mangudadatu shared the pains he and
his family went through during the reigns of then Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr
through his civilian volunteer organization.

He narrated the uphill battle even in
the court of justice due to his predecessor’s influence in the powers that be.

Untold stories about the massacre and
the trial were also shared.

Part of the program was the viewing of
a GMA News TV program – Bawal ang Pasaway where host Winnie Monsod interviewed
Mangudadatu about the massacre.

Meanwhile, Maguindanao second district
Rep. Sajid Mangudadatu said he is pushing a resolution in Congress to declare
Nov. 23 and January 25 as national days of mourning to honor and remember the
massacre victims and the SAF44 and other fatalities of the Mamasapano incident.
(Ferdinandh Cabrera)