Ex-Ampatuan lawyer’s role protested

A TARPAULIN with the pictures of the 58 victims of the 2009 Maguindanao massacre hangs at the site of the mass murder in the town of Ampatuan, Maguindanao province during the commemoration of the sixth anniversary of the killings in November 2015. The case against those who perpetrated one of the country’s most horrific crimes remains pending in court. JEOFFREY MAITEM / INQUIRER MINDANAO

GENERAL SANTOS CITY—Families of journalists killed in the 2009 Maguindanao massacre expressed apprehension over the planned appointment of lawyer Salvador Panelo, once the legal counsel of key members of the Ampatuan family who are the main accused in the massacre, as presidential spokesperson of the incoming Duterte administration.

Panelo is one of those mentioned as shoo-ins for Cabinet positions in a Duterte presidency.

Grace Morales, secretary general of the Justice Now Movement (JNM), a group of relatives of the massacre victims, told the Inquirer her group was worried about Panelo joining the Duterte administration “because he once served as one of the lawyers of the Ampatuans in the massacre case.”

“We are afraid nothing will happen to our case,” she said.

Morales said she believed that even if the Ampatuans were in jail, they still had money to use to influence the outcome of the case in their favor.

“Our dream of getting justice remains elusive until this time,” said Morales. “We are losing hope.”

Morales lost her husband, Rossell, and elder sister, Marites Cablitas, in the massacre.

Reynafe Momay-Castillo, daughter of Reynaldo Momay, the 58th massacre victim, told Inquirer she was disappointed after learning about the choice of Panelo as spokesperson.

“I’m so disappointed,” said Castillo. “I’m afraid they (Ampatuans) will be released or nothing will happen to the case.”

Appeal

“I am appealing to incoming President Duterte to give justice to the victims,” said Castillo.

Monette Salaysay, wife of another victim, Nap Salaysay, said she knew they could no longer find justice if Panelo’s appointment pushed through.

“We are poor but we are not fools. Fifty eight persons were killed but we are taken for granted,” said Salaysay.

Noemi Parcon, widow of Joel Parcon, a small town newspaper publisher who was also killed in the massacre, said she was protesting the appointment of Panelo.

The mother of another victim, Victor Nuñez of UNTV, Katherine Nuñez of Cagayan de Oro City, said the family’s legal counsel, lawyer Harry Roque, would oppose the appointment of Panelo in the Duterte Cabinet.

For Ryan Rosauro, current chair of the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines (NUJP), the planned appointment of Panelo was a nonissue, however.

When asked if NUJP had issued a statement, Rosauro said in a text message, “It’s a nonissue because Panelo already withdrew from the case.”

JNM president Emily Lopez, however, said she believed otherwise.

“Being a presidential mouthpiece is a very sensitive and influential position,” said Lopez.

She said Duterte “should appoint to the position someone whose commitment in upholding justice is beyond reproach.”

Lopez expressed disgust over the absence of the massacre as a main topic in the presidential debate.

Letter

“Little by little, our fight for justice is being buried into the dustbin of oblivion,” Lopez said.

Lopez said families of the victims would hold a meeting to draft a letter asking Duterte to withdraw his plan to appoint Panelo.

Right now, Lopez said, nothing seemed to be happening to the case. There has been no update from the Department of Justice.

“DOJ promised to keep us abreast of developments in the case,” said Lopez. “For almost six months now, we have not received any e-mail from the DOJ.” Aquiles Zonio and Jeoffrey Maitem, Inquirer Mindanao