Andal Jr. insists: No evidence against me

MANILA,Philippines — Despite several eyewitness accounts of his supposed participation in the 2009 Maguindanao massacre, primary suspect Andal Ampatuan Jr. has insisted that there is no evidence that would warrant his conviction for multiple murder.

Ampatuan, through his lawyer Paul Laguatan, has asked Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes to admit his memorandum that summarizes his defense against the 58 counts of murder filed against him.

The suspect anchored his argument on the supposed failure of the prosecution to present evidence that would proof his guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

“There is nothing that would prove either the identity of the culprit and the specific acts or any involvement of the accused in the alleged crime,” claimed the 33-page memorandum.

“The prosecution’s theory against the accused must fail especially considering that the documents and object evidence presented by the prosecution does not in any way substantiate such claims,” it added.

The defense noted the lack of ballistic reports and trace evidence that would directly link Ampatuan to the crime. 

It also questioned the credibility of some witnesses against Ampatuan, including suspects whom the prosecution panel wanted to become state witnesses.

“In order to add color to their allegations, the prosecution went as far as having the other accused testify in exchange for leniency or even acquittal,” alleged the memorandum.

Among the testimonies Ampatuan challenged were that of suspects Mohamad Sangki, Rex Ariel Diongon and Rainer Ebus.

Of the three, only Diongon has been discharged as a state witness, with the court denying the prosecution request for the other two to be allowed to testify against the suspects.

In his memorandum, Ampatuan failed to address the testimony of the other suspect-turned-state witnesses, including former Sultan sa Barongis vice mayor Sukarno Badal and Esmael Canapia. 

Badal was among those who testified to seeing Ampatuan kill some of the victims in the massacre.

In defending Ampatuan, Laguatan cited the testimonies of their witnesses who claimed that he was in the municipal hall of Datu Unsay town when the massacre happened.

Ampatuan was the mayor at the time of the massacre.

Solis-Reyes has given the prosecution panel until next week to file its comment on the motion to admit the defense memorandum.

The judge earlier gave Laguatan only until Oct. 14 to filed the document. 

However, instead of the memorandum, the lawyer filed a motion seeking to reopen the trial over an alleged claim that Badal would recant his testimony.

Badal appeared in court to deny the claim, prompting the judge to dismiss the motion to reopen the trial.