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Manila, PHILIPPINES: Jail guards patrol atop the high walls of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology prison in southern Manila Tuesday where members of an influential Muslim political clan, the Ampatuan clan, accused of a politically motivated 2009 massacre in the southern Philippines are detained. Relatives of 57 people killed in the Philippines' worst political massacre expressed outrage after a court delayed the trial of the main suspect and his alleged police accomplices. The trial of Andal Ampatuan Jnr, who allegedly led the massacre, and over 100 members of his clan's private army, is to be held in a special courtroom built inside the prison. AFP PHOTO

A scheduled hearing on the Maguindanao massacre was delayed again on Wednesday after a Regional Trial Court that was to try the case granted a motion filed by principal suspect Andal Ampatuan Jr. to defer proceedings until the trial court ruled on pending motions of respondents. The trial of Andal Jr. and the other suspects has been on hold since February, with defense lawyers filing a number of motions that have delayed the start of court hearings.

During the hearing held at the Quezon City Jail annex in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City (Metro Manila) on Wednesday, Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of Branch 221 of the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City granted the request of Andal Jr. that was filed last week by lawyer Sigfrid Fortun.

Reyes rescheduled the hearings for September 8 and 15.

Andal Jr., the former vice mayor of Datu Unsay town in Maguindanao province in southern Mindanao, asked the court to suspend the scheduled hearings on September 1, 8 and 15 until Solis ruled on the pending motions he and the respondents to the case filed.

But the court only postponed the Wednesday hearing.

The prosecution panel was supposed to present its first witness, a househelp of the Ampatuan family who claimed to have heard about the plan that led to the massacre of at least 57 people on November 23, 2009.

“The motion for resetting is hereby [partly] granted. The hearing today is postponed, and hereby reset for September 8 and 15,” Reyes said in her ruling.

Prosecution lawyers led by Assistant Senior State Prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon objected to the move of the defense, saying that the Ampatuans were employing delaying tactics.

“At this point, there is really no reason that we cannot proceed with the hearing. Every day that passes that the case is not heard is a big insult and they [relative of the victims] have suffered enough,” he said.

Private prosecutor Harry Roque, who represents 13 of the victims, said that the postponement was “unjustifiable” and frustrating.

He added that both parties have agreed during the last hearing that the formal trial will start Wednesday.

Preventive measures
Believing that the Ampatuans were delaying the court proceedings, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima asked the prosecution panel to come up with a move that would prevent further delays, such as possible administrative or disciplinary actions against the defense panel.

“I am disappointed. It seems there is an abuse in the dilatory tactics . . . ” de Lima told reporters.

She said that state prosecutors are also considering going to ask the Supreme Court to stop the alleged delaying tactics of the Ampatuans.

“We will study the possibility of asking the Supreme Court to intervene in this matter because they [suspects] are obviously delaying the proceedings,” de Lima added.

The Ampatuans also have asked the Quezon City court to reconsider Reyes’ earlier decision junking their four motions of inhibition.

The Ampatuans maintained in their latest motion for inhibition that Reyes was incompetent and biased in favor of the prosecution.

But the judge said that the issues that the Ampatuans raised against her had been discussed at length.

Relatives of the victims were not able to contain their emotions after the postponement of Wednesday’s hearing.

Among them was Catherine Nuñez, mother of Victor Nuñez, a UNTV reporter who was killed in the massacre.

According to her, they traveled all the way from Mindanao just to witness the formal start of the trial.

Twenty other relatives of the Maguindanao massacre victims who were present during the hearing also expressed their frustration.

“The court is very unfair and it is always favoring the criminals,” Nuñez said.

She added that relatives of the victims were terrified that the Ampatuans would continue to intimidate them, even while being held in detention.

“They are rich. We do not have anything,” Nuñez said. “Our enemies are powerful and we fear for our lives.”

Andal Jr. and over 100 members of his clan’s private army allegedly stopped a convoy belonging to a political rival in Maguindanao and killed the 57 civilians, including 31 journalists.

Relatives of the rival, now Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu of Maguindanao, were among those slain.
WITH REPORTS FROM ROMMEL LONTAYAO AND AFP

BY JEFFERSON ANTIPORDA REPORTER

ManilaTimes.net