Maguindanao massacre trial delayed anew

MANILA, Philippines - Justice Secretary Leila de Lima yesterday advised the prosecution panel handling the Maguindanao massacre case to seek remedy “outside” of the Quezon City court to prevent the defense panel from further delaying the trial.

This, after relatives of the 57 people killed in the country’s worst political massacre expressed outrage over the court’s decision to delay the trial. “They should not confine themselves in the local court. Bring the matter to the Supreme Court,” De Lima told reporters after the much-awaited first trial proper was reset again for another week.

A prosecution lawyer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they might ask the high court to step into the case. The source said they are contemplating filing a disbarment case against several defense lawyers for “employing dilatory tactics and bribing witnesses.”

“They are disrupting the court processes by filing so much recusations. That is contrary to their claim of speedy trial,” the source said, adding that there were powerful people offering P25 to P50 million for the recantation of the witnesses’ testimonies.

De Lima’s remarks came after presiding Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 rescheduled yesterday’s hearing by partially granting the motion of Andal Ampatuan Jr.’s counsel, Sigfrid Fortun, seeking to give time to lawyers who just received a copy of the case’s pre-trial order to file their comments.

Motion denied

The judge, however, denied the similar motion filed by Ampatuan’s father and namesake, as he was not arraigned yet.

“I’m granting partially the motion to suspend the proceedings because the parties have yet to file respective comments on pre-trial order issued Aug. 27,” Reyes said.

A pre-trial order contains the list of evidence and witnesses that will be presented by both camps during the course of the murder trial. Each lawyer has at least five days to give his respective comments or oppositions to the pre-trial order.

Relatives of the victims did not hide their disappointment over the decision and broke into tears as the judge granted the motion.

“All I can feel right now is anger. The continuous delay of the trial is unfair to us. What they are doing to the families is very painful,” said Catherine Nuñez, who flew all the way from Misamis Oriental to witness the trial held in Taguig City. Nuñez is the mother of slain UNTV crew Victor Nuñez, who was among the 32 journalists killed in the Nov. 23 massacre.

Assistant Chief State Prosecutor Richard Fadullon stressed that like the accused, the victims have also the right to speedy trial. “It is a big insult as far as the victims’ families are concerned. They have suffered enough,” Fadullon told Reyes during the hearing.

On top of the motion, Fortun also told Reyes that he will ask the court to reconsider its recent decision junking four of his motions that sought Reyes’s inhibition from the case.

The trial will resume in the morning of Sept. 8 at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City. The prosecution is expected to present at least three witnesses. – With Reinir Padua