THE PHILIPPINE CENTER FOR INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM (PCIJ) is proud to publish its latest documentary, LIPAT-BAHAY: The Ampatuans – Mansions, Money, and Politics.
The 25-minute documentary is based on the two-part investigative report produced by the PCIJ on the extent of the fabled wealth of the Ampatuan clan, the family accused of masterminding the murder of 58 people, including 32 journalists, in the worst case of election-related violence in Philippine history.
As well, the documentary shows how the family has made a comeback of sorts on the political front, bagging a significant number of slots on the official slates of both the opposition United Nationalist Alliance coalition of Vice President Jejomar Binay, and the ruling Liberal Party of President Benigno Simeon Aquino III.
The documentary also exposes the sale of eight of these properties by Andal Ampatuan Jr to one of his own lawyers, raising concerns that the sale was meant to place the properties beyond the reach of the civil forfeiture case that the Anti-Money Laundering Council had filed against the clan.
The story is based on documents unearthed by the Mindanao news cooperative Mindanews and the PCIJ, including land titles or transfer certificates of title (TCT), corporate filings, and records of the Court of Appeals, the Manila Regional Trial Court, and the Commission on Elections.