Court urged to arraign Zaldy Ampatuan

MANILA, Philippines - The prosecutors handling the Maguindanao massacre case yesterday urged a Quezon City court to proceed with the arraignment of former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) governor Zaldy Ampatuan.

In a second reiterative motion filed before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221, the panel led by City Prosecutor Archimedes Manabat asked Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes to immediately schedule the arraignment of the former governor.

“There is no more impediment to the arraignment of Datu Zaldy ‘Puti’ Ampatuan,” the motion said, referring to the Aug. 15 Supreme Court decision that denied with finality of Ampatuan’s petition for review.

“With the Supreme Court’s denial with finality of accused Zaldy Ampatuan’s motion for reconsideration, the finding of probable cause made by the Department of Justice against him has become final,” it added.

“His arraignment should be set immediately in order for the wheels of justice to start grinding,” said the motion.

Ampatuan is among the 195 people implicated in the murder of 58 people – including media practitioners – in Ampatuan town in Maguindanao on Nov. 23, 2009.

His arraignment was earlier deferred after he filed several motions for reconsideration.