42 acquitted in Maguindanao massacre case now out of jail
MANILA, Philippines — Forty-two of the 56 acquitted in the Maguindanao massacre case have been freed from jail.
Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) spokesperson Xavier Solda said Friday the 42 individuals were discharged from the Quezon City Jail Annex at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.
“Of the 46 under the BJMP who were acquitted, 42 were already released,” Solda explained in a text message to reporters.
He said those who had not been released – Akad Macaton alias Mohammad Salazar Piang, Denga Mentol, Richard Goffel, and Arnel Abdullah – still have pending cases in court.
According to Solda, Macaton is facing a drug-related offense while Abdullah has a pending case for illegal possession of explosives. He, however, could not immediately disclose the pending cases against Goffel and Piang.
Ten of the 56 acquitted in the Maguindanao massacre case were not detained at the Quezon City Jail Annex as they were placed under the charge of the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City. The status of these 10 individuals has not been disclosed as of posting time.
Article continues after this advertisementOn Thursday, December 19, Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court ordered the immediate release of the 56 acquitted after handing down her guilty verdict on the 28 respondents in the gruesome multiple murder case.
Article continues after this advertisementAmong those sentenced to reclusion perpetua without parole were Maguindanao massacre masterminds Datu Andal “Unsay” Ampatuan Jr. and his brothers Zaldy and Anwar Ampatuan Sr.
Meanwhile, 15 of the total 101 accused were sentenced with six to 10 years imprisonment for being accessories to the brutal crime.
On November 23, 2009, 58 individuals were slaughtered in Ampatuan town in what was dubbed as the worst election-related case in history. The grisly murders were also deemed as the single deadliest attack on journalists since 32 of the fatalities were members of the media.
Edited by KGA
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