Secretary Edwin Lacierda. INQUIRER file photo
MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang urged the Supreme Court on Thursday to push the judge handling the Maguindanao massacre case to speed up the trial.
Edwin Lacierda, President Aquino’s spokesman, made the call after a private prosecutor in the case lamented the killing of a third witness to the November 2009 killings that have been described as the worst case of pre-election violence in Philippine history.
More than 50 people, including dozens of journalists, perished in the massacre allegedly perpetrated by members of the Ampatuan clan and their armed followers in Maguindanao province.
“We’re asking the Supreme Court right now under Acting Chief Justice Tony Carpio if they can find a way to hasten the Ampatuan massacre case without sacrificing due process,” Lacierda said at Thursday’s news briefing in Malacañang.
Lacierda said a faster trial was something that the administration has been saying since the time the proceedings started to get bogged down by technicalities.
“Can you direct the handling judge to make certain that this case moves at a faster pace… while the pace of this case can be faster we can assure also the safety of these witnesses,” Lacierda said.