At the time of the massacre, he was the outgoing mayor of Datu Unsay, Maguindanao, and was planning to run for provincial governor, the position his father, Andal Sr., was set to vacate.
Esmael Mangudadatu, from a rival political clan, declared his candidacy for the 2010 gubernatorial elections, thus challenging Ampatuan for the post.
[2] On December 19, 2019, Andal Ampatuan Jr., alongside his brother Zaldy and other co-accused, were convicted of 57 counts of murder and sentenced to reclusión perpetua.
[9] In 2018, the Office of the Ombudsman filed graft charges over a ₱238.3-million fuel supply deal during the term of late provincial governor Andal Sr.[10] On November 23, 2023 (coinciding with the 14th anniversary of the massacre), the Sandiganbayan Sixth Division convicted Andal Jr. of 21 counts of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, sentenced him to between 127 years, 9 months to 210 years in prison in total, and ordered him to pay ₱44.183 million in civil liability to the Maguindanao provincial government.
[10] Court records show that in 2008, Andal Jr., along with his father Andal Sr. and several government officials, reportedly conspired to award the contract for the purchase of diesel fuel to the petroleum station without any bidding; and in releasing public funds despite failure of the station to completely deliver fuel products that were supposed to be used in road rehabilitation projects, which were certified finished by the provincial government but were later found by the Commission on Audit otherwise.
[12] Andal Jr.'s first wife, Reshal Santiago Ampatuan, served as mayor of Datu Unsay until her death due to cardiac arrest in 2018; she was 38.