Ampatuan son played ‘major role’ in massacre

MANILA, Philippines - The prosecution panel in the Maguindanao massacre trial is urging the Quezon City judge who granted the bail petition of Sajid Islam Ampatuan to reverse her ruling and disallow his temporary release.

In a six-page partial motion for reconsideration filed Monday, the panel led by city prosecutor Archimedes Manabat said Sajid Islam – a son of clan patriarch Andal Ampatuan Sr. – played a major, albeit indirect, role in the Nov. 23, 2009 massacre.

“The presence of… Sajid during the meetings was not only borne out of his being one of the sons of Andal Sr., but more importantly because of his official position as OIC governor of the province of Maguindanao,” said the prosecutors.

“The entire plethora of evidence thus presented by the prosecution clearly shows that accused Sajid Islam Ampatuan played a major role as one of the masterminds of the herein crimes,” added the panel.

On Friday, Regional Trial Court Branch 221 Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes granted the petition of Sajid Islam and set bail at P200,000 per murder count or a total of P11.6 million for all 58 counts filed against him.

The same order denied the bail petition of Anwar Ampatuan Sr. and Akmad “Tato” Ampatuan, son and son-in-law, respectively, of the Ampatuan clan patriarch.

According to the judge, the prosecution panel failed to provide strong evidence that would warrant Sajid Islam’s continued detention while the trial is ongoing.

Citing the testimonies of witnesses, the judge noted that the suspect was merely present in the meetings but did not utter any word while the massacre was reportedly being planned.

Sajid Islam ‘allowed use of backhoe’

According to the prosecutors, Solis-Reyes should take a second look at the evidence and consider Sajid Islam’s position as officer-in-charge of Maguindanao at the time of the massacre.

“The use of the backhoe owned by the provincial government of Maguindanao, then headed by accused Sajid… was not a mere coincidental occurrence, but a vital part of the conspiracy that was hatched during the meetings attended by accused,” said the prosecutors.

“His acts subsequent to the planning/meetings explicitly manifested by his express permission, as OIC governor of the province of Maguindanao, to allow the use of backhoe owned by the provincial government,” they added.

The panel noted the testimony of witness Noh Akil, who said Sajid Islam talked to persons regarding the backhoe, particularly on how to save it.

“It suffices to state that the cover up of the murders was part of the plan and conspiracy, which part was taken to task and actually executed by accused Sajid,” read the appeal.

The prosecutors also noted that Sajid Islam, as acting governor, influenced the strategic deployment of the police force of Maguindanao prior to the massacre.

Private prosecutor Nena Santos earlier told The STAR that a new witness will testify that Sajid Islam took part in checking the checkpoints where the victims were stopped by a group of armed men.

Fifty-eight people, including 32 media practitioners, died in the massacre.