Ampatuan Jr. pleads not guilty to 15 counts of murder

MANILA, Philippines - Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. pleaded not guilty to 15 counts of murder before a Quezon City court during his second arraignment in Camp Crame yesterday.

“Not guilty,” Ampatuan Jr., with assistance from lawyer Sigfrid Fortun, told Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of Regional Trial Court Branch 221.

In his first arraignment, Ampatuan Jr. demanded that the charges be read in the Maguindanao language because he could not understand English or Tagalog.

In his arraignment yesterday, Ampatuan Jr. pleaded “Not guilty” after a court staff read the charges against him in English.

Ampatuan Jr. is now charged with 56 counts of murder arising from last year’s Maguindanao massacre.

He is the principal suspect in the cold-blooded killing of 57 people in Ampatuan town last Nov. 23.

Police have named 189 respondents in the multiple murder charges, while the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has charged 26 people.

However, only 206 instead of 215 people were named as respondents.

During the continuation of Ampatuan Jr.’s bail hearing yesterday, Fortun cross-examined Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu, who reiterated that hours before his wife Genalyn was murdered, she called him up and told him in a very terrified voice: “Palapit na si Unsay (Ampatuan) at sinampal ako. (Unsay is approaching and he has slapped me).”

On Nov. 23 last year, Genalyn, Mangudadatu’s sisters, lawyers, supporters and friends from the media were snatched, killed and buried in three mass graves dug by a backhoe owned by the Maguindanao provincial government.

Fortun asked Mangudadatu if he benefited from the incident, apparently by gaining popularity because he has been in the news, invited to several talk shows and interviewed by reporters.

Mangudadatu answered: “Ang hanap ko po ay hustisya, pinatay po ang asawa ko, kapatid ko, abugado at mga kaibigan ko. (I’m searching for justice; my wife, sister, lawyer and friends were killed).”

Fortun asked Mangudadatu if he has documentary proof of his conversation with his wife about her supposed encounter with Ampatuan.

Mangudadatu said he has none.

However, a private prosecutor said the conversation between the couple was corroborated by the telephone bills already presented in court.

Fortun also questioned Mangudadatu on his two affidavits, executed last Nov. 26 in General Santos City and Dec. 1 in Koronadal. – With Mike Frialde