Kin of Maguindanao massacre victims eagerly await court’s verdict — lawyer

A TARPAULIN with the pictures of the 58 victims of the 2009 Maguindanao massacre hangs at the site of the mass murder in the town of Ampatuan, Maguindanao province. JEOFFREY MAITEM / INQUIRER MINDANAO

MANILA, Philippines — The families of the victims of the 2009 gruesome Maguindanao massacre are “excited” to finally hear the court’s verdict on the case.

“We are happy that finally a verdict will be issued by the court,” lawyer Nena Santos, who represented 38 of the 58 victims of the decade-old massacre, said in a statement.

“Excited na lahat ng families  ng mga victims na madinig ang hatol ng huwes,”

(The families are excited to hear the verdict of the judge.)

Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes set the date of promulgation on the multiple murder case on December 19.

The Supreme Court earlier gave the Quezon City court until December 20 to resolve the case.

Fifty-eight people, including 32 journalists, were killed when a convoy composed of relatives of then Buluan town vice mayor Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu and members of media was gunned down along the highway in Sitio Masalay, Ampatuan in Maguindanao.

The convoy was supposed to deliver the certificate of candidacy of Mangudadatu in Shariff Aguak, as he challenged the Ampatuan clan’s grip on the gubernatorial post.

Several members of the Ampatuan family, including late former Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr. and his son, Andal “Unsay” Jr. were considered as principal accused in the murder case, which took almost 10 years before it was wrapped up.

Santos earlier expressed confidence that majority of the 104 accused would be convicted by the court.

Edited by JPV