SC recounts Maguindanao case's progress 6 years later

MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court (SC) late Monday recounted the progress of the Maguindanao Massacre case that marked its sixth anniversary on Monday.

By the numbers, the SC said it already heard a total of 178 witnesses, 93 prosecution’s witnesses, 27 defense witnesses and 58 private complainants as of Nov. 23, 2015, for the case that killed 58, 32 of which were members of the media.

The high court said to date, there are 197 accused, 15 of which surnamed Ampatuans. One of which was already dropped from the Informations, one of which was discharged as a state witness and one already dismissed.

It added that the SC resolved all outstanding formal offers of evidence against the bail applications of the accused as well as the bail applications of the major accused with only Andal “Unsal” Ampatuan Jr. left.

Among the 197 accused, the SC said 111 of them have been arrested and arraigned. They also mentioned that three of the accused already passed away including primary suspect Andal Ampatuan Sr. who died last July of liver cancer.

Since Ampatuan Jr was the only remaining primary accused, he was ordered to close his presentation of evidence for bail not later than December 2015.

“The proceedings have already reached the hearing of the evidence-in-chief of the main case,” the SC said in its update.

Over the last six years, the prosecution also filed three batches of formal offers of evidence against 95 accused which rest its case against them.

On Monday, the Department of Justice said it is no longer confident of assuring the conviction of a primary suspect in the Maguindanao massacre before the Aquino administration ends.

Former Justice Secretary Leila de Lima earlier said she expects a verdict before President Benigno Aquino III ends his term. However, current Justice Secretary Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa said he is not confident of the verdict.