Maguindanao massacre trial Judge summons BI chief, 4 others

MANILA, Philippines - A Quezon City judge handling the Maguindanao massacre trial has issued subpoenas directing Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Sigfried Mison and four other individuals to appear on Friday for interview and taking of their judicial affidavits.

Marlo Guillano – officer-in-charge at the Regional Trial Court Branch 221 – issued subpoenas to Mison, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) passport division director Russel Reyes, Philippine Airlines flight records section head Sarah Reyes and Maranaw Hotels and Resort general manager Danny Sy.

Also subpoenaed was the chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Region 12 unit responsible for all reports on the results of the firearms ballisticss test conducted on firearms seized from private armies or those believed to have been used in the Nov. 23, 2009 massacre.

The subpoenas were issued following the request of defense lawyer Sigfrid Fortun, who represents some members of the Ampatuan clan accused of masterminding the bloodbath.

In his two-page request dated Oct. 29, Fortun said the five will be interviewed and that their judicial affidavits will be taken during their appearance.

Reviewing records

Upon Fortun’s request, the court directed Mison to bring all copies of official records on Andal Ampatuan Jr.’s supposed departure from Manila for Los Angeles and his return to the country on Nov. 9 and Nov. 18, 2009, respectively.

The DFA official was directed to bring the certification on the authenticity of Ampatuan’s passport, while the airline executive was directed to bring the flight manifest showing that Ampatuan was in the flight that left Los Angeles in Nov. 16, 2009 and arrived in the country two days later.

Sy, meanwhile, was directed to bring a certificate indicating the actual occupants of the rooms paid for by Andal’s father, former Maguindanao governor Andal Sr., with the Century Park Hotel from Nov. 16 to 20, 2009.

Last month, the defense also asked the court to summon PNP crime laboratory service director Chief Superintendent Liza Fabong.

Fabong was asked to bring with her all reports on the result of the ballistics examinations conducted on the firearms seized from private armed groups or those believed to have been used in the massacre.

Fortun also asked the PNP crime lab chief to bring all reports on the result of the dactyloscopy, or finger and hand print identification, conducted on all object evidence recovered from the crime site.