MANILA, Philippines — Even with the guilty verdict against the accused in the decade-long Maguindanao massacre case, human rights group Amnesty International said the search of the victims’ families for justice “remains far from over.”
“The conviction of the principal accused and several others is a critical step towards justice for victims of one of the worst killings of journalists in history,” Nicholas Bequelin, Amnesty International Regional Director, said in a statement on Thursday.
“Even with these convictions, the families’ search for justice remains far from over. Some 80 other people accused have yet to be arrested,” he added.
Bequelin then called on the Philippine government to ensure that the steps are taken to find and prosecute all those suspected to have taken part in the gruesome attack that claimed the lives of 57 people, 31 of which are journalists.
The body of the 58th victim, photo journalist Reynaldo Momay, has yet to be found, saved for dentures that have been confirmed his. Thus, the Quezon City regional trial court ruled to acquit all the accused in the murder case filed on his behalf.
He also recalled the number of witnesses that were killed during the “grindingly slow judicial proceedings” which he said added to the “appalling culture of impunity and injustice surrounding this case.”
“This has been another blow for families of the 58 (sic) victims. Today’s court decision shows that the wheels of justice keep on turning. Suspected perpetrators of human rights violations will be held to account,” he said.
“The Philippines is one of the deadliest countries in the world for journalists, with at least 15 journalists killed just this year in attacks believed to be related to their work,” he added.
Bequelin further called on the government ensure the security and safety of journalists in the country and prosecute those behind the killings.
“They must also dismantle private armies that underpin the power of political clans,” he said.
Trial court Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes found Datu Andal Ampatuan Jr., a former Maguindanao town mayor, and other members of the influential clan guilty of the murder of 57 people in the worst election related violence and one of the deadliest attacks against journalists.
The victims were killed when their convoy was ambushed along the highway in Sitio Masalay, Ampatuan in Maguindanao. The convoy was supposed to deliver the certificate of candidacy of then vice governor Esmael Toto Mangudadatu in Shariff Aguak, as he planned to challenge the Ampatuan clan’s grip on the gubernatorial post.
The court, meanwhile, acquitted Sajid Islam Ampatuan and Datu Akmad “Tato” Ampatuan Sr. and more than a dozen police suspects due to reasonable doubt.