Cops in massacre case seek own trial

Ten policemen who are among the accused in the Maguindanao massacre have asked the Quezon City court hearing the case to hold a separate trial for them in line with their right to a speedy disposition of their case.

The police officers, through lawyer Adilberto Golla Jr., said they were still waiting for the prosecution to establish their conspiracy with the other accused since their arraignment on April 21, 2010.

According to them, the only fact established so far was that they were members of the 1508th Police Mobile Group and that they were present when the 57 victims of the massacre were abducted.

“It is a clear violation of the basic rights protected by the Constitution of all the accused police officers, who are suffering in jail despite no evidence against them and the prosecution included them as witnesses, if we will allow them to wait until the prosecution terminates their presentation of evidence and after the 227 witnesses have testified before they could make their necessary remedy for a speedy disposition of their case,” Golla said.

The policemen are Police Officer 1 Herich Amaba, Police Officer 3 Rasid Anton, Police Officer 2 Hernanie Decipulo, Police Officer 3 Felix Anate, Police Officer 1 Esprielito Lejarso, Police Officer 1 Narkouk Mascud, Senior Police Officer 1 Eduardo Ong, Police Officer 2 Saudi Pasutan, Police Officer 1 Arnulfo Soriano and Police Officer 1 Pia Ka Mudin.

They are among the 196 facing multiple murder charges for the massacre on Nov. 23, 2009, in Ampatuan, Maguindanao.

They cited  the Revised Rules of Court which states that “when two or more accused are jointly charged with an offense, they shall be tried jointly unless the court, in its discretion and upon motion of the prosecution or any of the accused, orders a separate trial for one or more accused.”. Julie M. Aurelio