A precedent?
Once news of the granting of bail to Sajid Ampatuan hit the news, you could practically hear the groans of disappointment all over the country, except perhaps from the Ampatuan camp. He was allowed to post bail in the amount of 11.6 million pesos, an amount the Amaptuan camp did not have any difficulty posting. Many would have probably stayed in jail, but not this family.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines was quick to blast the release of the young Ampatuan, son of Andal Sr., citing "faulty presentation of the case" to incompetence by the prosecution panel. They are not even discounting the possibility of a nefarious deal, something not far-fetched in this country. There is also the possibility of this bail setting a precedent for the other principal suspects to gain temporary liberty. A possibility unimaginable for what is possibly the most gruesome crime in the history of this country.
It has been almost six years the Maguindanao Massacre, where fifty-eight people, most of them journalists, were murdered in cold-blood. Attempts to cover up the crime were interrupted, leaving behind a crime scene like no other. Many thought that with the overwhelming evidence, this case would be resolved quickly, with the guilty punished to the full extent of the law. But almost six years on, we are actually seeing one gaining his temporary liberty. A hold departure order has been issued on this Ampatuan, but he doesn't seem to mind. He probably knows something the rest of us don't?
With the release of Sajid Ampatuan, many relatives of the victims are now anxious. Anxious, and fearful of reprisals. If the Ampatuans were powerful even in jail, what more out of it? Witnesses have recanted, gone into hiding, been killed or vanished. Who knows what lies ahead for them? Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu has vowed to pursue the case against all the accused. The DOJ will also exhaust all legal means to bring Sajid back into detention. But the question remains. How long is this case still going to take? Are all these delaying tactics part of the strategy of the defense, up to the time when interest on this case is long gone? Can the prosecution even strengthen their case against the accused if bail is already a possibility? Can you blame the relatives if they feel this case is slipping away? The prosecution panel must find ways to bring this case into resolution, where those guilty are punished by the law. Nothing less is acceptable.
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