CA junks Ampatuan Jr.’s plea to scrap ex-vice mayor’s testimony

Andal Ampatuan Jr. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Court of Appeals dismissed the bid of former Datu Unsay, Maguindanao Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. and his father, former Governor Andal Sr., to exclude the testimony of former Ampatuan town Vice Mayor Rasul Sangki in the Maguindanao massacre cases.

In a 13-page decision dated October 8, the appeals court 14th division, through Associate Justice Victoria Isabel Paredes, said there is no proof that the Quezon City Regional Trial Court abused its discretion when it accepted Sangki’s testimony.

Sangki took the witness stand against the Ampatuans on Jan. 13, 2010 and identified Andal Sr. as the brains behind the massacre that killed 58 people including 32 journalists.

Sangki said he was present during the killings but said that he did not fire any single shot at the victims.

In their petition, the Ampatuans said Sangki is not qualified to become a witness after he admitted that he was present during the massacre.

“The soundness of the RTC’s orders in refusing to expunge the testimony of Sanki involves judgment, and not jurisdiction…,” the decision stated.

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