Ampatuans' motions for Quezon City judge to inhibit self in hearings denied

MANILA, Philippines – A Quezon City judge has junked the motions filed by murder suspects Andal Ampatuan Jr. and his father Andal Sr. for her to inhibit from hearing the charges in connection with the Maguindanao massacre.

“The Second, Fourth, Fifth Recusations filed by accused Datu Andal Ampatuan Jr. as well as the Third Recusation filed by the latter and Datu Andal Ampatuan Sr. are hereby denied for lack of merit,” Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 said in an omnibus order dated Aug. 26.

Solis-Reyes had earlier dismissed the First Recusation filed by Andal Jr. several months ago. The latter filed a motion for reconsideration, but the judge also dismissed it in the Aug. 26 order. “Finding no cogent reason to modify or reconsider the order dated March 18, 2010, the motion for reconsideration filed by Datu Andal Ampatuan Jr. is likewise denied for lack of merit,” the judge said in her latest order.

Because of the omnibus order, there are now only two motions for her inhibition pending the sixth one filed by Andal Jr. and another one filed by Sajid Ampatuan.

In the recently junked motions, the accused cited the alleged “bias” of the judge against the accused. The accused also cited the judge’s admission of the amended information in the case that indicted an accused allegedly even if there was nothing on record linking him to the killings.

One of the motions even assailed the judge’s order for the counsel of another accused and jail officials to explain whey they allowed a nurse and a doctor inside the detention facility without authority from the court.

In her omnibus order junking the motions asking for her inhibition, Solis-Reyes cited a Supreme Court ruling that stated: “There is really no hard and fast rule when it comes to the inhibition of judges. The issue of voluntary inhibition is primarily a matter of conscience and good discretion on the part of the judge.”

Additionally, a former police officer, who was implicated in the massacre of 57 people in Ampatuan town in Maguindanao province on Nov. 23, surrendered to the authorities.

Former Police Officer 1 Narkouk Duloan Mascud said he wanted to clear his name of alleged participation in the murders of 57 people including members of the media. He was the 67th accused accounted for the incident. Mascud was among the group of PNP personnel and CVO volunteers who were brought to Manila to undergo further investigation, but he left their billeting area at the Kiangan Hall in Camp Crame in February this year.

Mascud contacted Major Tante Angagao of the 7th Military Operations School in Fort Bonifacio to arrange for his return to PNP control upon knowing that a warrant of arrest and corresponding reward was already issued for his immediate arrest.

Angagao accompanied yesterday morning Mascud to the office of Chief Superintendent Cipriano Querol director of the Police Community Relations Group (PCRG).

Mascud was later turned over to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group for proper disposition. He was among 112 Maguindanao massacre suspects who are the subject of nationwide manhunt operations. The DILG has offered P28 million for the information leading to the arrest of the 112 more massacre suspects who remain at-large.