QC Court to kin of Maguindanao massacre victims: Prove that you are indigent

MANILA, Philippines–A Quezon City court has ordered 11 relatives of victims in the Maguindanao massacre to show proof why they should be allowed to litigate as indigents and not pay any fees.

Judge Catherine Manodon of Regional Trial Court Branch 104 gave 15 days to the plaintiffs, kin of media workers killed on Nov. 23, 2009, to submit documents supporting their indigency claim.

This was after lawyer Romel Bagares asked for an extension in filing the affidavits of indigency as only four private complainants were only to submit theirs to the court.

Those who were able to file their affidavits were Editha Tiamzon, Cipriana Gatchalian, Julieta Evardo and Catherine Nunez, whose kin were among the 32 media workers killed.

They, along with the other plaintiffs, filed a P15 million damage suit against former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for her liability in the massacre, believed to have been carried out by the Ampatuans, then her political allies.

The hearing on Friday coincided with Arroyo’s scheduled transfer today from the St. Luke’s Medical Center to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center, her temporary detention facility.

The Pampanga solon is facing electoral sabotage raps along with Ampatuan clan patriarch Andal Sr., who is among those indicted in the Maguindanao massacre.