Eight years on, court still has no verdict on suspects in Maguindanao massacre

November 22, 2017

After eight years since the killing of 58 persons in Maguindanao, the accused are still being tried before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court.

In a case update released on Wednesday, the Supreme Court said 103 of the 197 accused are still undergoing trial.

The SC said cases against the accused led by former Mayor Andal "Datu Unsay" Ampatuan Jr. are now in three final stages - resolution of the remaining formal offer of evidences (FOEs) of the evidence-in-chief; demurrers to evidence, and the termination of the presentation of defense evidence.

"As soon as the accused have rested their presentation of evidence, their respective cases may already be submitted for the decision of the Court," the case status report stated.

"It is already the turn of the accused to present their evidence-in-chief. Thirty one accused have already concluded the presentation of their evidence. Thirty four more accused are currently presenting their respective defense evidence-in-chief," the tribunal said.

As of November 21, the court has heard a total of 273 witnesses: 166 prosecution witnesses, and 107 defense witnesses. The court has resolved all the 15 sets of formal offer of evidence in connection with the bail applications of 70 accused. It has resolved all bail applications of the accused, including that of accused Andal “Unsay” Ampatuan, Jr..

According to the tribunal, the Quezon City court may render judgment  on each accused and not wait for all the accused to end presenting their evidence.

The SC said the motion for reconsideration by Unsay was denied by the Court in its order dated June 16, 2017.

“The prosecution has already finished the presentation of evidence in the main cases against all of the accused, save for Datu Andal Ampatuan, Jr. Considering that the bail proceedings against him was already terminated, the Court is now awaiting for the manifestation to be filed by the prosecution with respect to their Formal Offer of Evidence insofar as accused Datu Andal Ampatuan Jr. is concerned,” it added.

Four of the accused, including Andal Ampatuan Sr. died while in detention while four of the accused who submitted their demurrer to evidence were acquitted by the trial court.

The murder cases involve 58 victims (including 32 media practitioners), 197 accused (15 surnamed Ampatuans), with 115 arrested - the latest of which was Jonathan Engid, who was arrested last February.

The proceedings are being attended by 10 lawyers that comprise the third panel of prosecutors, eight private prosecutors, and 23 defense lawyers  while transcripts of stenographic notes have reached 59 volumes. Records of the cases are 129 volumes, plus 10 volumes of prosecution’s evidence. DMS