Court orders arraignment of Zaldy Ampatuan

MANILA, Philippines - The Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) handling the trial of the Maguindanao massacre has ordered the arraignment of former Muslim regional governor Zaldy Ampatuan on the multiple murder charges filed against him.

Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of Quezon City RTC Branch 221 said there is “no cogent reason to reconsider” the motions for reconsideration filed by Ampatuan.

“Accordingly, let the arraignment of accused Datu Zaldy ‘Puti’ Ampatuan be set on Dec. 12, 2012 at 9:00 o’clock in the morning to be held at Quezon City Jail-Annex, Camp Bagong Diwa, Bicutan, Taguig City,” the court said in a five-page decision.

Reyes said “the Court is of the view that (the) arraignment of accused movant can no longer be deferred” since the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court (SC) have already denied Ampatuan’s motions for reconsideration on Nov. 8, 2011 and Aug. 15, 2012, respectively. The SC on Wednesday also released the decision of its third division denying with finality the second motion for reconsideration of Ampatuan.

“A personal and independent determination was made that there was a need to continue to hold accused... under detention in order not to frustrate the ends of justice, contrary to his claim that the (judicial) finding of probable cause was based on the findings of the prosecutors,” Reyes said.

“The Court is of the view that discussion of the other issues raised by accused... is no longer necessary as the same are mere rehash of the arguments he raised ... which were already discussed and passed upon at length... sought to be reconsidered,” the decision added.

Ampatuan is one of 197 suspects tagged in the November 2009 massacre that claimed the lives of 58 people, including at least 32 media practitioners.