Ampatuans block key evidence from victim’s ‘undies’

Lawyers of Ampatuan family members accused of masterminding the Maguindanao massacre on Wednesday blocked the presentation of evidence reported taken from a cell phone found hidden in one of the victim’s underwear.

Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes deferred the presentation of a transcript of the last text messages supposedly sent out by victim Cynthia Oquendo-Ayon before she was killed with at least 56 other massacre victims on Nov. 23, 2009, in Ampatuan town, Maguindanao.

The text messages were stored in Ayon’s cell phone, which embalmers supposedly found hidden in her underwear.

Judge Reyes deferred the presentation of the evidence pending her ruling on the defense lawyer’s urgent motion questioning procedural matters.

Prosecution lawyers claimed  the text transcript was “vital evidence” in the case.

“This (transcript) is damaging (to the accused) because this is a dying declaration. This is vital because it (supposedly) shows how they were killed, where and what time,” private prosecutor Harry Roque Jr. later told reporters.

Ayon’s brother, Senior Police Officer 4 Raymundo Oquendo, had testified last week that his sister was able to send text messages to a fellow lawyer before she was killed.

“Many have been killed. We’re next,” he quoted one of the text messages as saying.

Also, Ayon allegedly asked her fellow lawyer to contact an Ampatuan lawyer for him to tell his clients to “please stop.”