‘Day of Reckoning’ on December 19 for Maguindanao massacre case

MANILA, Philippines — More than 10 years after the gruesome killing of 58 people, including 32 journalists, a Quezon City court will hand down its verdict on the Maguindanao massacre on Dec. 19, dubbed the “Day of Reckoning” by the Department of Justice.

The promulgation of judgment against the accused, including members of the former ruling Ampatuan clan, will be at the Quezon City Jail Annex in Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City at 9 a.m.

The order was signed by Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes on Nov. 29 and released to the media yesterday. 

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra called Dec. 19 the “Day of Reckoning” with hopes that Solis-Reyes would exercise fairness in her judgment when she delivers the verdict.

“I am glad that we have finally reached the day of reckoning. The prosecution has presented nearly 200 witnesses and the defense over a hundred during an intense trial that lasted several years,” said Secretary Guevarra.

“We thank the judge for her patience and diligence. We trust that she will dispense justice evenhandedly and with utmost respect for the rule of law,” he added.

Fifty-eight counts of murder will be decided a month before the 10th anniversary of the trial, which began in January 2010.

The Supreme Court earlier granted Solis-Reyes a 30-day extension to rule on the multiple murder cases following the 90-day deadline a judge has to decide on a case upon termination of the trial in August. 

The trial has accumulated 165 volumes of records of proceedings; 65 volumes of transcripts of stenographic notes and eight volumes of prosecution’s documentary evidence.

Presented during the marathon hearings were a total of 357 witnesses, including the family of the victims, 134 other prosecution witnesses and 165 defense witnesses.

The primary defendant is Andal “Datu Unsay” Ampatuan Jr. and among the 100 other suspects are former governor Zaldy Ampatuan of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and Anwar Ampatuan Sr.

Out of the initial 197 suspects charged for the massacre, only 117 have been arrested, with 80 others, including 15 from the Ampatuan family, still at large. 

Yet to be arrested are Datu Kanor Ampatuan, his son Datu Mama, Andal Sr.’s grandson Hanarin and Saudi Jr., as well as Datu Harris, Datu Moning, Datu Norodin, Tony Kenis and Kagi Amar.?The last arrest made in connection with the massacre was in September 2016 when Akad Macaton alias Mohamad Salazar Piang was nabbed in an operation in Sultan Kudarat. Meanwhile, 11 suspects are out on bail, including former Maguindanao officer-in-charge Sajid Islam Ampatuan, son of the late Andal Sr.

Several of the accused have since died in detention, including Ampatuan clan patriarch and former Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. in 2015; Hernanie Decipulo in 2012; Moktar Daud in 2016; Edgardo Ong in 2017; Nasser Talib, Macton Bilungan and Bensedick Alfonso last year.

Charges against five suspects – namely Johann Draper, Abas Anongan, Tumi Timba Abas, Kominie Inggo and Dexson Saptula – were dismissed due to lack of probable cause or insufficiency of evidence. 

The Nov. 23, 2009 Maguindanao massacre has been tagged as the single deadliest incident for media workers in world history as it claimed the lives of 32 journalists.

They were accompanying a convoy led by Genalyn Mangudadatu, wife of then-Buluan vice mayor and now Maguindanao Rep. Esmael Mangudadatu, who was supposed to file the candidacy of her husband at the provincial capitol in Shariff Aguak. 

Families of the victims are hoping for a guilty verdict, which they say would be the only ruling that could heal the wounds caused by the massacre. – With Evelyn Macairan