“At least for the principal accused, the evidence appears to be very strong, from the [Department of Justice]’s point of view,” Guevarra said in an interview.
Ampatuan has been tried for multiple murder charges over the Nov. 23, 2009 incident in Barangay Salman in Ampatuan, Maguindanao where 58 people—including 32 journalists—were killed.
The victims were part of a convoy accompanying the party of then Buluan town Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu.
The Quezon City Regional Trial Court, Branch 221, has already submitted the case against Ampatuan and his co-accused for resolution after he submitted his formal offer of evidence before the conclusion of his trial.
“We expect a decision hopefully within the first half of 2019,” Guevarra said.
The Justice secretary said he would have liked to have the proceedings sped up. “But there were certain factors beyond our control. So many accused, so many witnesses, too,” he said.
READ: Ampatuan furlough denounced; Justice for Maguindanao vowed
There are 197 accused in the case including former Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. who died while in detention.
Nine years after the Maguindanao massacre, the same conditions that led to the horrific killings persist—the dominance of warlords and corrupt clans, the impunity of the powerful who can get away with murder, and the fundamentally flawed system of justice, Senator Francis Pangilian said.
To make matters worse, the current administration does not acknowledge that there are any extra-judicial killings, he said. Instead, the administration thrives on fake news and misinformation to get back at its critics.
READ: Verdict on Ampatuan hangs 9 years after massacre of 58
“We see altered and controlled public disclosure to suit the purpose of the ruling power,” said Pangilinan, president of the opposition Liberal Party.
Under this situation, he said freedom of the press and the people’s right to know are restricted.
“We can only count the years that have gone by since the massacre of 58 people in Maguindanao, but we have nothing to reckon as victory,” he said.
The Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines called on the government to speed up the trial of the suspects.
“The case has dragged on for nearly a decade, despite repeated promises. We call on Philippine authorities to speed up the case,” FOCAP said in a statement.
“While dozens have been arrested and taken to court, convictions have been elusive. The continuing injustice is a stark reminder of the impunity that the government has failed to end in the country,” the group said.
About 70 of the more than 197 suspects remain at large.
FOCAP said the 32 journalists were killed for doing their job.
“The government must publicly denounce attacks against Filipino journalists and show its commitment to protect fundamental freedoms,” FOCAP said. “An attack against a journalist is an attack against democracy. Journalism is not a crime.”
In Cagayan de Oro, the mother of one of the victims decried the slow judicial process.
Katheryn Nuñez, mother of UNTV senior reporter Victor Nuñez, said she would not back down in the search for justice for her son.
Victor was just 24 years old when he was murdered along with 57 others in Masalay hills, in Ampatuan town in Maguindanao.
Nuñez said that even if there is just one conviction, she will consider it as a victory against the perpetrators, the powerful Ampatuan clan.
“I want Andal Ampatuan convicted, that is what I want,” Nuñez said.
Nuñez blames the government for failing to give her justice.
“Had the suspect been poor, he would have been killed, but the suspects are rich and influential,” she said.
Cagayan de Oro Press Club president Rufino Magbanua said it is the government’s obligation to see that justice is served.
“Nine years on, there are still no convictions. The failure of providing effective and swift justice is already a serious denial of human rights,” Magbanua said.
The Presidential Task Force on Media Security joined the call of the families of the Maguindanao massacre victims to see that justice is done.
In a regional forum on media safety and security in General Santos City Friday, the task force’s executive director Undersecretary Joel Egco expressed confidence that the principal suspects would be convicted.
“After nine years, we can finally say that we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel,” Egco said in his speech.
Should the Ampatuan brothers get away, Egco added, it would be pointless for him to remain at work and he would just return to farming and media work. With PNA
READ: Massacre victims’ kin seek arrest of 70″‹