Judge upheld on Maguindanao massacre suspects’ bid to turn state witnesses

Maguindanao massacre carnage site in Barangay Salman, Ampatuan town in Maguindanao. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–The Court of Appeals has upheld a decision of the presiding judge denying the prosecution’s request to turn three of the suspects in the Maguindanao massacre case into state witnesses.

In a decision dated Nov. 7, the appellate court’s Special 13th Division denied the prosecution’s petition for certiorari accusing Quezon City Judge Jocelyn Solis Reyes of committing grave abuse of discretion in denying the prosecution’s motion to discharge suspects Mohammad Sangki, Rex Ariel Diongon and Ranier Ebus.

The court agreed with Reyes’ July 2011 ruling that there was “no absolute necessity” for the testimony of the three accused, who have already been arraigned.

Reyes ruled that the three suspects’ testimonies were “merely corroborative” and that their discharge would not benefit the state since the other suspects against whom they would testify have not yet been arrested and brought under the jurisdiction of the court.–Jerome Aning