'Create another court for Maguindanao massacre case'

MANILA, Philippines - An official of a human rights group based in Southeast Asia on Wednesday proposed that the Department of Justice request a creation of a court that would only handle motions related to the Maguindanao massacre case.

H.R. Dipendra, Media Legal Defense-Southeast Asia director, said this would save time allotted for the trial proper of the multiple murder case.

"The court would only take care of all the motions by both parties... The court should not allow for any delay [of the trial] and do away with frivolous motions," Dipendra said during a media briefing at the UP Law Center in Quezon City.

Dipendra also suggested that Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes to reduce the number accused being tried and just focused on the principal accused.

"Maybe we focus on the principal accused...three years is too long for this case to be tried," he said.

For his part, private prosecutor Gilbert Andres called on President Benigno Aquino III and Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas to double the government's efforts to arrest the 91 more accused who remain at large.

On Nov. 23, 2009, several members of the Ampatuan family and private army allegedly brutally shot to death 58 people, including 32 media workers and journalists, in Ampatuan town, Maguindanao.

Three main accused in the case--former Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr., ex-Datu Unsay town mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., and former ARMM governor Zaldy Ampatuan-- are now detained at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.