EDITORIAL - Silenced

Dead men tell no tales; this is something that is learned early in this country. People with criminal minds learn quickly that it pays to permanently silence political opponents, business rivals, pesky journalists, and in the latest case, key witnesses.

A lawyer for 14 of the victims in the Maguindanao massacre confirmed yesterday that one of the principal witnesses in the grisly crime was shot dead in Parang, Maguindanao on the night of June 14. Maguindanao police auxiliary unit member Suwaid Upham, known by his alias, Jessie, had admitted that he was one of seven men who gunned down the 57 massacre victims. Upham also said members of the Ampatuan clan, including patriarch Andal Sr. and his sons Andal Jr. and Zaldy, had ordered the massacre.

How did someone with such a compelling story end up dead? Upham reportedly sought witness protection from the Department of Justice but was ignored. Human Rights Watch also asked the DOJ to provide the requested protection three months ago. Reports said Upham did not want to give his statement at the DOJ, believing that some officials in the department were protecting the Ampatuans. Instead Upham waited at the Commission on Human Rights to give his statement to DOJ personnel who never showed up.

Upham’s death is not only a setback in the prosecution of the Ampatuans for the massacre, but also a major disincentive to crime witnesses. He was not the first to be murdered for possessing information that could send influential people to prison. The Maguindanao massacre was the worst case of election-related violence in this country, and the government should have done everything not just to gather material evidence and find credible witnesses, but also to ensure that the witnesses live to tell their tale. Instead, after trying in vain to avail himself of the government’s Witness Protection Program from March to April, Upham decided to return to Maguindanao. Without protection, he became as much of a sitting duck as the 57 massacre victims. Those who ignored Upham’s plea for protection should also be held accountable for his death.