Buluan town vice-mayor Esmael “Toto’’ Mangudadatu said Saturday that he had no ill-feelings towards Lakas-Kampi-CMD presidential candidate Gilberto “Gibo’’ Teodoro after the former defense chief had reminded the Maguindanao leader that the Ampatuans — the powerful clan that had an iron-grip control of the province for a decade — were particularly violent.

"Mahal na mahal kita, Toto. May pagkabayolente ang mga taong yan. (I care a lot about you, Toto. Those are violent people)," Mangudadatu quoted Teodoro as warning him.

Mangudadatu revealed this conversation in his testimony during the resumption of the hearing on Andal Ampatuan Jr.’s petition for bail before the Quezon City regional trial court (RTC).

That remark, he said, was made when Teodoro sought out Mangudadatu sometime last year before the latter’s wife, relatives, political allies and journalists accompanying them were killed November 23 on their way to Shariff Aguak to register  Mangudadatu’s candidacy for governor. Ampatuan Jr. has been tagged by witnesses as the mastermind of the politically-motivated killings and is now detained at the National Bureau of Investigation facility in Manila.

“I'm a party man and my support for Secretary Teodoro has not been tainted or diminished,” Mangudadatu said in Pilipino.

Mangudadatu said his support for Teodoro has not diminished, and hailed his program of reform and progress for Mindanao as the best to turn the conflict-torn island into an economic powerhouse.

"I believe that Secretary Teodoro is the most effective and most competent candidate for president who will bring the best program of reform to Mindanao," said Mangudadatu, the ruling party’s candidate for governor in Maguindanao in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).