Ampatuans deny threatening cop tagged in massacre

MANILA, Philippines - Murder suspects Andal Ampatuan Sr. and his son Andal Jr. have denied before a Quezon City court allegations that they had threatened one of 15 policemen tagged in the case to discourage him from testifying for the prosecution.

“Their (prosecution’s) motion is anchored on supposed threats made by accused to prospective witnesses. However, the existence of these threats was never established with evidence admissible under the rules,” they told the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221.

The Ampatuans were responding to a motion of the prosecution for 15 policemen being eyed as prosecution witnesses to be transferred to the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame, away from members of the Ampatuan clan detained in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.

The prosecution said the Ampatuans allegedly threatened Senior Police Officer 2 Badawi Bakal “that something untoward will befall him and… his family if he refused to sign a document falsely identifying prosecution witness Rasul Sangki as among those who shot the victims in the massacre.”

“But, unless demonstrated as true with evidence, the accused must be presumed innocent of these accusations,” the Ampatuans said.

The Ampatuans said the jail facility in Bicutan is adequate to secure the safety of all the accused and there was no reason to transfer the 15 policemen to Camp Crame.

They said if the court allows the transfer “it is impliedly accepting that accused are guilty of grave threats.”

“Note, too, the expense needed to transport these accused to the courthouse in Bicutan, upon a mere speculative whim of the prosecution who have forgotten to prove their case with evidence, not rumors,” the Ampatuans said.