We, the undersigned, National Council Officers of ANAK MINDANAO (AMIN) PARTY LIST, assembled for our Regular Council Meeting in Dipolog City on November 25-26, 2007, believing in good faith, do hereby declare the following:

    1. We strongly condemn as a dastardly and heinous criminal act the bombing at the Batasan Complex on November 13, 2007 which resulted in the death of Marcial Taldo, Maan Gale Bustaliño, Julasiri Hayudini and Rep. Wahab Akbar of Basilan, and the wounding of several others;

    2. Anak Mindanao Party List in principle and as per resolution of its National Council strongly denounces violence and condemns acts of terrorism used by any entity to advance their interests. In the same resolution, AMIN Party List reiterates that it will not accept or tolerate in its membership anyone who is affiliated with any organization that uses violence as a strategy to pursue their agenda.  

    3. AMIN Party List finds incredulous and absurd the direct accusations and implied insinuations made against its Representative to Congress, Hon. Mujiv Hataman as being behind the bombing. One of the requirements in qualifying for nomination as candidate in our Party is adherence to the principles mentioned above. AMIN Party List had elected Mujiv S. Hataman as its representative because of his avowed advocacy to peace and human rights which he consistently stood for as a youth leader, as he does now as a legislator.

    4. We believe that the dragging of the name of AMIN Party List Representative, Hon. Mujiv S. Hataman into the Batasan Bombing incident is completely baseless and is pursued only by groups or individuals who are using the unfortunate incident to advance their political and personal interests. These groups and individuals deserve nothing more than our contempt and condemnation.

    5. Finally, we reaffirm without any reservation our full confidence in and support for Hon. Mujiv S. Hataman as our representative in the House of Representatives.

Anent to this, we are forwarding the following calls:

    1.Justice for all those who perished and were injured during the Batasan Bombing, and also for those who might fall victim to unjust persecution brought about by this incident.  

    2.May government agencies mandated to conduct an investigation into the incident work towards a credible, fair, just and impartial result, to prevent any innocent civilians from becoming victims of hearsay and unproven testimonies of individuals whose credibility is tainted with malice and deceitful conduct, that due process and respect for civil and human rights is truly observed without fear or favour.

    3.We enjoin the investigators and all concerned to get to the bottom of this dastardly act, and to give due consideration to all angles in this case.

Let due process and justice be truly served.

(SGD) OFFICERS OF THE NATIONAL COUNCIL, ANAK MINDANAO (AMIN) PARTY LIST

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PRIVILEGE SPEECH
(Delivered before the Plenary Session of the House of Representatives on November 19, 2007)

Assalamu alaikum Warahmatullahi taala wabarakatuhu…

Just a few hours ago, I presented myself for investigation at the CIDG, at Camp Crame. Responding to the questions, I cannot help but re-live the events of that day, especially the few minutes before the explosion. I clearly recall being in this session hall, nagbibiruan at nag-aayaan ng mga kaibigang Congressman para mag hapunan sa labas.

Minutes after, the session was adjourned, and were it not for Akbayan President Ronald Llamas, who asked me to stay and accompany him in the south lounge, I was also already on my way to the lobby, my escort already waiting for me outside. In fact, I clearly recall seeing Congresswomen Lisa Maza and Luz Ilagan at the exit of the session hall.

Within seconds after joining Mr. Llamas in the south lounge, we heard the explosion. My first instinct was to run outside the building, thinking it was a coup attempt, with us, members of the House of Representatives taken as hostages.

As the evening wore on, the events surrounding that fateful night started to unfold – what exploded, where, when, and who were the victims. When news accounts reported Congressman Wahab Akbar’s critical condition, I was consumed with disbelief. I was still trying to digest the news, when reports of his death was announced. For the first few days after the incident, I was still trying to convince myself of the harsh realities of that fateful day, when suddenly, I just found myself at the receiving end of accusing fingers, being dragged into and suspected as one of those behind the terror attack that led to the injury of at least 11 people, including fellow members of the House, Congressman Teves and Congresswoman Luz Ilagan, and the death of 4 people, including a friend, Nikki Hayudini, and one who used to be a friend, Congressman Wahab Akbar.

Mga kasama, mahirap po ang mag depensa ng sarili sa gitna ng mga akusasyon. I know everything I say will only appear to be self-serving, my words weighed against the words of those pointing their fingers at me. Ngunit bilang isang halal na opisyal, responsibilidad ko po ang magpaliwanag sa taong bayan, at bilang isang mamamayan, ako rin po ay may karapatang ipagtanggol ang sarili at linisin ang aking pangalan.

My name was dragged into this terror attack on the basis that my elder brother, Jim Hataman ran against the late Congressman Akbar, and because on certain issues, I have been a vocal critic of the late Congressman. But all these, were purely political differences. Yes we had issues against each other, and there were times when the tension between our families filled the air of Basilan, but Basilan itself can bear witness that the dispute remained only as such, a clash of principles.