The Bureau of Immigration (BI) placed Saturday nine members of the Ampatuan clan in its watchlist over their alleged link to the Maguindanao massacre.

As this developed, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Gov. Zaldy Uy Ampatuan will call a meeting Sunday in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao to explain his family’s side on the Maguindanao massacre, as well as to account for their remaining political allies in the wake of the incident.

BI Commissioner Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan has ordered that the names of nine members of the political clan be included in the watchlist so as not to frustrate the investigation being conducted in connection with the gruesome murder of 57 people, including journalists.

The watchlist includes the names of the clan’s patriarch and Maguindanao Gov. Datu Andal U. Ampatuan Sr., Datu Ansay Mayor Datu Andal U. Ampatuan Jr., ARMM Governor Ampatuan, Nords Ampatuan, Akmad Ampatuan Sr., Akmad Ampatuan Jr., Saudi Ampatuan Jr., Bahnarian Ampatuan, and Sajid Islam Ampatuan.

Ampatuan Jr. is the primary suspect in the abduction and massacre of the 57 people, including the immediate family and relatives of Buluan Vice Mayor Esmael Mangundadatu, who filed last Friday his certificate of candidacy (CoC) for governor of Maguindanao.

President Arroyo has already declared a state of emergency in Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat, and Cotabato City in response to the incident.

“We are appalled by the shocking disregard for human life that was shown in the Maguindanao massacre, and we want to help to avoid any delay in the investigations,” Libanan said after receiving a memorandum from Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera, directing the bureau to issue a watchlist order against the Ampatuans.

Libanan said that the names would remain in the watchlist for a period of 60 days unless sooner terminated or extended.

Libanan also directed Ferdinand Sampol, chief of the airport operations division and immigration supervisors at the Ninoy Aquino International Airports (NAIA), Diosdado Macapagal International Airport, Laoag International Aiport, Mactan International Airport, and Davao International Aiprort to implement the order against the Ampatuans immediately.

It was reported that the Mangundadatu’s family and their convoy were on their way to file his certificate of candidacy for the gubernatorial post when the incident took place in the morning last Nov. 23.

In a televised statement last Friday, ARMM Governor Ampatuan expressed dismay that despite their painstaking decision to yield his younger brother, Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., to face charges in the massacre, his family remains battered in media reportage of the incident.

Datu Unsay Mayor Ampatuan is still detained at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) jail at the NBI headquarters on Taft Ave. Ermita, Manila, although he had sought medical checkup after complaining of chest pains.

When he was checked by NBI doctors, his breathing was normal, said Deputy Director for Technical Services Reynaldo Esmeralda. This was the reason Mayor Ampatuan was not allowed to seek medical check-up outside the NBI.

Ampatuan also lamented the premature decision of the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD led by administration standard-bearer Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro to expel him, his father, former Maguindanao Gov.or Andal Sr., and Mayor Andal Jr. from the ruling party without consultation with them.

He added that while “Gibo did not give us the benefit” of giving their side of the issue, his clan would remain very supportive to President Arroyo.

Teodoro said the expulsion of the Ampatuans stemmed from their failure to live by the ruling party’s ideals for “peaceful, orderly and honest” political exercises.

Last Friday, Teodoro escorted Buluan Vice Mayor in filing his CoC for Maguindanao governor at the Shariff Aguak town.

Mangodadatu’s CoC was supposed to be filed by his two female lawyers alongside his wife, two sisters, other relatives, and accompanied by journalists last Nov. 23 when more than 100 armed men intercepted their convoy of six vehicles and herded them to a hilly village where they were later executed and buried in mass graves.

The tense situation in Maguindanao has taken its toll on journalists.

While the ARMM Bureau of Public Information has invited media people from Cotabato City and Manila to cover Gov. Ampatuan’s news briefing Sunday, at least two of Manila-based journalists, who used to cover past ARMM events, said they declined the invitation of BPI Director Sammy Gogo for reasons they did not disclose. (With reports from Jeamma E. Sabate and Rizal Obanil)