Aquino believes Zaldy Ampatuan not after immunity from massacre trial

ROXAS CITY, Philippines—President Benigno Aquino III said on Tuesday that Zaldy Ampatuan has not been asking to be a state witness with immunity from suit in the ongoing trial of the accused in the 2009 Maguindanao massacre.

The former Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao governor just wanted to testify “without considerations” against his father and brother whom he had already accused of being behind the massacre.

Interviewed by reporters, the President said he has tasked officials to “assess exactly what he has to offer and whether or not it merits the criteria.”

But Mr. Aquino said from what he understood, Ampatuan has not asked to be a state witness.

“State witness engenders immunity from suit, you drop him from the charges and there is no such request from him (Zaldy Ampatuan),” the Chief Executive said.

Aquino repeatedly said Ampatuan has not asked anything in return for his testimony.

President Aquino said that an “emissary” that he talked to told him that Ampatuan was “offering all of this evidence or his testimony without any consideration.”