Victims’ relatives rejoice, but concerns remain

MANILA, Philippines —  Relatives of the Maguindanao massacre victims yesterday rejoiced over the verdict in the 2009 Maguindanao massacre, but concerns over violence and retaliation persist, especially with the acquittal of 56 defendants including two members of the Ampatuan clan.

Around 80 suspects remain at large.

Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes sentenced to life imprisonment without parole Andal Ampatuan Jr. and his brothers Zaldy and Anwar. Late patriarch Andal Sr. died of liver failure in detention in 2015.

Maguindanao Second District Rep. Esmael Mangudadatu said he is thankful to the court for rendering a decision favorable to the victims and their families.

“Our prayers for the conviction of the accused have been answered,” Mangudadatu said in Filipino.

Mangudadatu lost his wife Jenalyn, sisters Eden and Farinah and other relatives in the carnage that took place on Nov. 23, 2009.

He maintained, however, that the legal battle may not be over yet as the Ampatuans might seek relief from the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court.

“I, along with the whole clan, and those whose families were orphaned, are very grateful to those who have prayed and expressed their support to us so that we will achieve the justice we have been seeking for the last 10 years,” Mangudadatu said in a statement.

In an interview with TV5 late yesterday, however, he lamented the acquittal of Sajid Islam Ampatuan, currently the mayor of Maguindanao town.

Mangudadatu also noted that about 80 percent of the guns of the Ampatuan clan remained unaccounted for.

With the acquittal of 55 defendants, many of them said to be members of the clan’s private army, Mangudadatu told TV5’s Aksyon that the possibility of violence and retaliation remained high.

The victims were in a convoy of several vehicles on their way to Shariff Aguak to file Mangudadatu’s certificate of candidacy for governor when armed men led by Andal Jr. stopped them and forced them to get off before shooting them. The victims included 32 journalists.

“Words are not enough to show our heartfelt gratitude to all, and we are very thankful for those of you who never stopped praying,” he said. “At least, the 10 years of waiting for justice was made significant with the verdict, and was not in vain.”

The Mindanao lawmaker said this “proves even more that justice remains working in this country, and that it will never be wrong for us to tread the right path as we put our trust in our laws.”

Noemi Parcon, wife of slain journalist Joel Parcon, said she felt very happy that justice had been served.

She said it’s now time to move on as she promised to sponsor a mass for thanksgiving and for the repose of the souls of the victims.

“If we live in the past, we’ll get nowhere in life. Although we have already moved forward, for us, we did not stop fighting for justice for them,” Parcon told reporters shortly after the promulgation.

“At least, now I can really say their souls may now ‘rest in peace.’ If there is no justice, their souls can never find peace. And because of this, we’re praying and hoping that their souls find peace,” she added. 

Not easy forgetting

Jergin dela Cruz Malabanan, daughter of journalist-victim Gina dela Cruz, also said she felt grateful to the court for the decision. “It’s so painful for us; it’s not easy to lose a mother, to see her body riddled with bullets, bloodied and decomposing. It’s very painful to lose a mother. I was only 15 years old then,” Malabanan told reporters in Filipino.

“My mama is now happy because the killers have been sentenced even if not everyone has been convicted,” she said, adding that this is the justice they had been waiting for and that she would continue the fight.

She stressed the conviction of the principal accused is her best Christmas gift.

But if given the choice, she said she would want the guilty meted the death penalty.

“For me, for us, it should not only be reclusion perpetua considering the number of people they had killed. For us it’s not enough, but we have laws to follow. I want them executed, tortured, until they beg for mercy,” she said.

By killing dozens of defenseless people, she said the Ampatuans and their cohorts in the crime deserve the cruelest punishment.

“That’s how I want them to end up, so they would feel the agony our parents suffered,” she added.

Merlyn Salaysay-Awo said the court verdict has somehow eased the pain of losing her journalist brother Napoleon Salaysay.

Awo said she and her other relatives visited the tomb of her brother before they gathered in her house to watch the court proceedings on TV.

Despite a favorable court verdict, Salaysay-Awo said she still feels sadness for the loss of her brother. 

She expressed hope that with the verdict, the soul of Napoleon may finally find eternal peace.

A son and namesake of Gold Star tabloid reporter Ronie Perante Sr. wept on hearing on TV the court verdict. The younger Perante and several other relatives and friends of the slain media members watched the court proceedings on TV in General Santos City.

Vigilance needed

For some families of the victims, it’s not yet time to let their guard down as some of the acquitted or even those at large might get back at them.

“We have families in Mindanao, and we can’t just erase fears of possible retribution,” said Mary Grace Morales, wife of Rosell Morales and sister of Marites Cablitas, both photojournalists and victims of the massacre.

Ricardo Cachuela, brother of journalist Val Cachuela based in Koronadal City, South Cotabato, expressed the same fear.

“We can’t help thinking that those convicted might turn to those acquitted for help in harassing us, or worse,” Cachuela said in Filipino at a briefing after the promulgation.

“Throughout the 10 years, we’ve felt their powerful influence because they have the money,” he said.

Morales and Cachuela, along with other relatives of the 58 victims of the Maguindanao massacre, are appealing to the government to move swiftly and arrest the suspects at large.

“My appeal to police and soldiers, please act swiftly to arrest those at large,” said second year college student Jaymark Jhoy Duhay, son and namesake of another journalist-victim.

Cachuela also begged officials to make sure the Ampatuans don’t get special treatment in prison. “They should be made to suffer for their crime,” he said.

“We continue the fight because some of them got acquitted and that makes us afraid,” Morales said.

“Let’s be vigilant, observant, because their power and influence are so vast. We’ve fought them for 10 years, we have the right to go after them,” she said.

Private prosecutor Rachel Pastores, one of the lawyers for the victims, advised victims to hold on as the court has issued arrest warrants for the 80 suspects still at large.

“We should not lose hope because the cases against them are still alive and it will not die for as long as they don’t get nabbed,” she said at the same media briefing. –  John Unson, Edith Regalado, Ghio Ong, Delon Porcalla