Manila court set to try multiple murder case vs Joma, Satur

The Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) is set to handle the multiple murder case against Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria Sison, Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Saturnino “Satur” Ocampo and several others in connection with the alleged mass grave found in Inopacan, Southern Leyte in the 1980s.

The Supreme Court (SC) ordered the transfer of the case from the Hilongos, Leyte  RTC Branch 18 to Manila last April 23, citing the seriousness of the threat to the lives and safety of the witnesses, the prosecutor and the judge.

The office of Manila RTC Executive Judge Reynaldo Ros received the entire record of the case – all 1,551 pages of it – last July 1. The SC authorized Ros to raffle the case off among the RTC branches.

Ocampo and Sison are accused of ordering the killings in 1985 as part of an alleged “purge” within the ranks of the New People’s Army (NPA) during the 1980s. Sison, Jalandoni and Ocampo and the other accused have denied any involvement in the killings. 

Last year, Ocampo petitioned the SC to transfer the venue of the trial, saying Hilongos is a highly militarized place where “his witnesses cannot safely and freely testify.”

Hilongos RTC Branch 18 Judge Ephrem Abando thumbed down Ocampo’s request, and the SC agreed, saying in an April 22,2007 resolution that the 30 complainants, mostly farmers, would hardly be able to afford to travel to Manila while Ocampo has the resources to get security escorts and other “necessary arrangements that would foster his mobility and ensure his presence whenever needed during the trial.”    

However, last April 23, the SC granted a change of venue upon the request of Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez. – Sandy Araneta