Justice Secretary Leila de Lima. RYAN LEAGOGO/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO
“They should understand how complex the case is.”
This, according to Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, explains the delay in the trial of the suspects in the Maguindanao massacre, whose fifth anniversary will be marked Sunday.
“The government is doing its best,” De Lima on Friday told international media groups who had scored the slow progress of the trial.
“We don’t blame them for espousing that thought… but I keep saying that on the part of the prosecution, we were not remiss in our task,” the justice secretary told reporters in an interview.
Citing the complexity of the case, De Lima said there are 58 victims, 197 accused, 147 witnesses presented by the prosecution, and close to 300 presented by the defense.
“These factors (explain) why it’s taking a long time,” the justice secretary said. “But it should be understood that the wheels of justice are rolling. The judge and the prosecutors are doing their best,” she added.
De Lima said that it was “easy” for those unfamiliar with legal processes “to find fault in those handling (the trial),” but “if you regard the overview of the case and know how many witnesses were presented, (you’d) know why it is taking a long time.”
She said she planned to meet with families of the massacre victims in Maguindanao on Sunday to assure them of the government’s continuing support in prosecuting the case and speeding up the trial.
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