A FRATERNITY group of the owner of a security agency that was raided by authorities in Davao City on Thursday vouched for the credibility of the arrested suspect.
The group said its frat member could just a victim of harassment or politics.
In an emailed statement, the Fraternal Order of Saint Thomas Moore (Tau Mu) of the Ateneo de Davao College of Law said its former grand archon Mussolini Sinsuat Lidasan has been pushing and supporting for peace in Mindanao and there is no way that he could be involved in the grand plot to hide the firearms of the Ampatuans as suspected by the authorities.
"The entire community of the Fraternal Order of Saint Thomas is still in a state of shock because of what happened and by the fact that Mr. Lidasan is currently being linked to the Ampatuan massacre case for the lame reason that he is the brother-in-law of Undersecretary Zamzamin Ampatuan of the Department of Energy," said Tau Mu grand archon Mark Quilaneta.
"Mr. Lidasan is one of the most active elder members of the Fraternal Order. What most people do not know is that Mr. Lidasan was a United Nations volunteer as a community development specialist from 1998 to 2003. He has been playing a very active role in pushing for peace and development in Mindanao. In the past, he facilitated the formation of several people's organizations and non-governmental organizations helping internally displaced people who are victims of the war in Central Mindanao," he added.
Quilaneta said Lidasan is the incumbent president of the Action Mindanao (Aksyon Mindanaw Movement), which is a conglomeration of several people's organizations and non-governmental organizations all over the Philippines fighting for peace, sustainable economic development, and green Mindanao.
In December 2009, Lidasan was among those who led the Mindanao Action Partners in the forum on the Maguindanao massacre. And to ensure honest, peaceful, free and credible election for the country, Lidasan is helping the Peace Vote 2010, a movement that aims to monitor, document and report election related violence in the May 2010, he added.
"Mr. Lidasan could possibly be another victim of harassment or politicking. Nevertheless, he voluntarily submitted himself to the rule of law. He is a graduating law student. He has utmost respect to the justice system of the country. He is hoping to be given a day in court and a fair trial on the merits," the group said.
Lidasan owns the Banderas Security Agency where some unlicensed firearms -- two M16 rifles, one caliber .45 pistol and one 9mm pistol -- were seized aside from the licensed ones. The firearms covered by licenses but were also seized were 24 caliber .38 revolvers, 19 shotguns, and one caliber .45 pistol.
The raiding team also arrested an Army trooper guarding the security agency at the time of the raid.
Sergeant Alberto Antisoda Duhig of the Army's 67th Infantry Battalion was arrested after he failed to show an authority from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for him to render security duty at the premises.
Lidasan is the brother of the Bai Ikit Lidasan Ampatuan, wife of Energy Undersecretary Zamzamin Ampatuan, who is also former chairman of Southern Philippines Development Authority (SPDA) and Office of Muslim Affairs director.
Zamzamin is cousin of Andal Ampatuan Sr.
Lidasan said the guns were used in his security agency and are not part of the suspected arms caches of the Ampatuan clan. However, government agents later found out that the security agency's permit has already expired in August 2008. (BOT)