Toto Ampatuan seeks dropping of multiple murder raps

MANILA, Philippines—One of the Ampatuans indicted for the Maguindanao massacre has asked a Quezon City court to drop the charges against him, claiming he was supervising a medical mission when 57 people were slaughtered on November 23, 2009. The body of a 58^th victim was never found.

In a motion to dismiss filed this week, Datu Akmad “Toto” Ampatuan Sr. said he was not in the municipality of Ampatuan when the killings occurred as he was supervising a medical mission elsewhere.

The accused is among 196 facing multiple murder charges in the masscre, allegedly masterminded by Andal Ampatuan Jr. Many of those linked to the killings remain at large.

The staff of Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of Regional Trial Court Branch 221 received the pleading on September 7.

In claiming innocence, Akmad sAmpatuan noted that he was not even mentioned as a participant in the killings in sworn statement submitted by key witness Kenny Dalandag and several others.

According to  Akmad Ampatuan, Dalandag’s statements did not even mention him as “having attended any meeting, flagging or killing any of the victims.”

“There is no evidence to show that Datu Akmad conspired with other people in killing the victims,” said the motion, filed by his lawyers.

“The affidavits of supposed prosecution witnesses do not even disclose, even remotely, Datu Akmad’s alleged involvement in the subject crimes. In fact, there is totally no direct or indirect evidence showing his supposed involvement in these crimes.”

At the time of the killings, he was at Mamasapano, Maguindanao, overseeing a medical mission involving Manila-based doctors, which he had planned and organized even before November 23, 2009, the pleading said. On that day, it added, Akmad Ampatuan sent his men to the airport to fetch the doctors and sort out the medicines to be given away.

“Datu Akmad personally attended and supervised the subject medical mission. In fact, he stayed in Mamasapano from around 7:30 a.m. up to the time when the medical mission ended at around 5 p.m.,” the motion said.

Akmad Ampatuan’s lawyers presented as proof a joint affidavit of two town officials in which they said they took photographs and videos of Akmad Ampatuan personally keeping an eye on the medical mission.