Andal Sr is dead

MANILA - AndalAmpatuan Sr. quietly passed away on Friday night, ending days of struggles at the National Kidney Transplant Institute (NKTI) intensive care unit.In a statement at past 10:45 p.m. FridayAmpatuan's lawyer Ferdinand Topacio saidand It is with deep sadness that I announce to the public that former Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. has passed away. The 72-year-old Ampatuan patriarch passed away at 10:02 p.m. on Friday.Saying details were sketchy, Topacio said, adding thatAmpatuan'smortal remains will be treated in accordance with Islamic customs,” he added. The family requests the media and the public in general for privacy and respect in this time of bereavement,” Topacio told the Philippine New Agency (PNA). He was in NKTI since June 5 due to his deteriorating health condition.He was tagged as the mastermind of the country's single worst election related violence - the now infamous Maguindanao massacre that left 58 persons dead, 32 of whom were journalists.Relatives said his remains will be buried in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao.