Judge asked to inhibit self from hearing murder cases vs Andal Jr.

MANILA, Philippines – Citing the non-resolution of the numerous motions, some of which he filed, pending before the court, Andal Ampatuan Jr. has, for the sixth time – asked for the inhibition of the judge hearing the multiple murder case against him.

Ampatuan Jr., through his lawyers Sigfrid Fortun and Joy Manaog, filed for the sixth time before Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 on July 27 and cited 11 motions that he had filed – including his second, third, fourth and fifth recusations – but remain unresolved.

According to Ampatuan Jr., these motions had been “argued extensively” by both parties and that “nothing further needs to be filed” for them to be resolved.

“Despite the lapse of a significant amount of time, numerous motions rife for resolution have remained unacted upon. In fact, motions filed during the first quarter of the year and submitted for resolution continue to be unresolved,” the pleading stated. “It is respectfully prayed that, for the sixth time and upon new ground, the presiding judge inhibits herself from further trying these cases, and that the same be returned to the executive judge for re-assignment by raffle,” the murder suspect said.

“The fact that these incidents continue to be unresolved to date shows that the honorable presiding judge is incapable and unfit to perform her sworn duty to administer justice impartially without delay, to be the embodiment of competence, and to dispose of the court’s business promptly and decide cases within the required periods,” he said.

Ampatuan Jr. also claimed Solis-Reyes “was not diligent” when she issued the order admitting the amended information in the case. He cited the case of another accused, Akmad Ampatuan, and claimed there was no evidence to support probable cause to indict the latter.

Moreover, the Philippine National Police will prepare its custodial center inside the national headquarters in Camp Crame in Quezon City to accommodate police witnesses in the Ampatuan massacre on Nov. 23.

Chief Superintendent Rommel Heredia, director of the PNP Headquarters Support Service, said they would make some arrangements for the accommodation of the police officers now considered witnesses in the gruesome massacre of 57 persons in Ampatuan town in Maguindanao province.

“The (PNP) Custodial Center is designed to accommodate eight persons, and we need to make some adjustments to accommodate all of them without violating their basic human rights,” Heredia told The STAR. He said they have yet to receive order from the court on the accommodation of the witnesses but vowed to coordinate with proper authorities. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe