Court rejects Ampatuan plea to reopen Maguindanao massacre case trial

Police investigators look for evidence on a mangled vehicle unearthed at the crime scene where human remains were dug up from a shallow grave as investigators try to find more bodies, victims of a massacre after gunmen shot at least 50 people in Ampatuan town, Maguindanao province on November 25, 2009. On October 25, 209, a Quezon City court denied the bid of Datu Andal “Unsay” Ampatuan Jr. to reopen trial and suspend promulgation of judgment on the Maguindanao massacre case. Unsay is a prime suspect in the gruesome carnage that claimed the lives of 58 people, including 32 journalists on November 23, 2009. File photo by TED ALJIBE / AFP

MANILA, Philippines — A Quezon City court has denied the petition of Datu Andal “Unsay” Ampatuan Jr. to reopen trial and suspend promulgation of judgment on the Maguindanao massacre case.

Ampatuan is a prime suspect in the gruesome carnage that claimed the lives of 58 people, including 32 journalists on November 23, 2009.

Ampatuan’s camp averred that prosecution witness Sukarno Badal had contacted them and expressed intention to recant his earlier testimony against them. But Badal denied such claims of the Ampatuan camp, saying “they are all made up by the accused Unsay to delay the case.”

“I cannot just easily approach them because they will kill me and a lot of things have already happened in my life, Your Honor,” Badal told the court based on the transcript of a hearing that was attached in the five-page order issued by Quezon Regional Trial Court Branch 221 Presiding Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes on October 25.

With this, the court said it does not see any merit to grant the petition of Ampatuan.

“With the denial made by prosecution witness Sukarno Badal of his intention to recant his previous testimony given on several dates, it is crystal clear that the ground relied upon by the accused-movant for the reopening of trial has no leg to stand on,” the court noted.

The massacre – dubbed as the worst single-attack on journalists in the world – took place while the convoy of journalists and family members of Ampatuan political rival, Mangudadatu clan, was on their way to the provincial Commission on Elections office for Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu’s filing of his certificate of candidacy. Toto was eyeing the gubernatorial post at the time and was to go against Unsay. /kga