Andal Ampatuan Jr. told to find new lawyer

MANILA, Philippines —  Even as the Quezon City court wraps up the decade-long trial for the 2009 Maguindanao massacre, the primary suspect in the multiple murder case has once again found himself without a lawyer, the fourth time since the trial began in 2010.

Regional Trial Court Branch 221 Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes, in a two-page order dated Aug. 15, directed former Datu Unsay mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. to engage the services of a new counsel following the withdrawal of the firm of lawyer Raymond Fortun.

Solis-Reyes granted the request to be relieved from the case by the Fortun & Santos Law Office, which began representing Ampatuan in 2016.

Fortun cited personal reasons in his motion, which also bore the signature of Ampatuan.

In her order, the judge said “the court is in a quandary as to the real motive in filing the motion to withdraw,” noting that it was filed days before the deadline for the filing of the memoranda of the parties, the last document that would be submitted before the promulgation of the decision.

Solis-Reyes noted that the withdrawal was filed after the defense was given “several settings for the presentation of sub-rebuttal evidence and filing of motions one after the other that resulted in the unnecessary delay in the proceedings.”

During the hearing, prosecution lawyer Moises Acayan acknowledged that the nature of a counsel’s withdrawal is personal between the client and the lawyer.

However, he expressed concern about the speedy disposition of the case, moving that it be submitted for decision even without the memorandum from the camp of Ampatuan.

It is unclear is Solis-Reyes would still wait for Ampatuan to find a new lawyer and submit his memorandum before ruling that the case is already submitted for decision.

She earlier gave parties a final deadline of Aug. 15 to submit the said documents.

It is the fourth time that Ampatuan found himself without a lawyer.

In 2014, the Fortun Narvasa & Salazar Law Office – where Raymond’s brother Sigfrid is a name partner – withdrew as counsel for Ampatuan after representing the family since 2009.

Salvador Panelo, now presidential spokesperson, took over the case but withdrew in 2015, also citing personal reasons.

He was replaced by lawyer Andres Manuel, formerly affiliated with the Fortun Narvasa & Salazar Law Office. He quit as counsel in 2016.

The Nov. 23, 2009 massacre, dubbed as the single deadliest incident for media workers in world history, claimed the lives of 58 people, including 32 media practitioners.

The victims joined the convoy led by Genalyn Mangudadatu, wife of then-Buluan vice mayor and now Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu.

Genalyn was supposed to file the certificate of candidacy of her husband at the provincial capitol in Shariff Aguak when they were stopped and murdered by more than 100 men.

Also killed were Mangudadatu’s female sisters, lawyers, aides, and private citizens who were mistook to be part of the convoy.

Charged with multiple murder are prominent members of the Ampatuan clan, including Andal Jr., whom Mangudadatu was supposed to challenge for the gubernatorial post in 2010.

Dozens of suspects were surnamed Ampatuan, while the rest were either members of the Philippine National Police or the supposed private army of the political clan.