Suspect threatens witness in open court

MANILA, Philippines - A militiaman accused of participating in the Maguindanao massacre threatened a prosecution witness in open court yesterday.

Jerry Utto, a member of a civilian volunteer organization, became “angry” after Esmael Kanapia identified him as one of the CVO members who manned the checkpoints where the victims were supposed to be frisked.

Kanapia told Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes that Utto warned him in Maguindanaoan that “he is angry, and that I would not gain my freedom.” Utto’s move was done in full view of lawyers and court personnel.

Kanapia ignored Utto and continued to identify the other accused present at the makeshift courtroom in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City. He was able to identify 21 people allegedly involved in the massacre, including prime massacre suspect Andal “Unsay” Ampatuan Jr.

Prosecution lawyer Gemma Oquendo raised the matter before Reyes, saying Utto uttered the words in a “threatening manner.”

Utto is one of the 196 accused for the death of the 57 victims, mostly media people and relatives of Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu. The relatives of Mangudadatu, then Buluan vice mayor, were on their way to file his certificate of candidacy for the gubernatorial race when they were killed by alleged members of the Ampatuan family and militiamen working for them.

Kanapia is an accused in the case, but is considered as one of the most important witnesses by the prosecution. He was arrested near the massacre site in Sitio Masalay by Army personnel.

Kanapia took the stand yesterday in connection with prosecution’s application for him to become a state witness.

Kanapia testified to seeing a backhoe “dropping a white thing from the sky” on Nov. 23, 2009. He added that he was told by other militiamen that Ampatuan Jr. has killed several people at the Maguindanao massacre site.

He also testified to hearing Ampatuan Jr. asking someone named “Jerry” over a two-way radio to call someone named “Bong” to “hurry up with burying the people and the vehicles.”