SC issues guidelines to speed up Maguindanao massacre trial

The names of the victims of the Nov. 23, 2009 Maguindanao massacre are written on markers at the carnage site in Barangay Salman, Ampatuan town in Maguindanao. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Four years after the Maguindanao massacre, the Supreme Court has issued guidelines to speed up the trial of over 190 accused.

“The Supreme Court issues new guidelines to expedite Ampatuan multiple murder trials including use of judicial affidavits and assignments of assisting judge,” the high court’s Public Information Chief Theodore Te said Tuesday.

In its new guidelines, the high court has appointed a third assisting Judge for Quezon City Regional Trial Court Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes. The judge will handle all non-trial incidents in the Maguindanao massacre case such as the arraignments, pre-trials as well as motions that are not essential to the merits of the multiple murder case.

Currently, Reyes’ assisting Judges Ma. Rita Bascos of Quezon City RTC Branch 99 and Jenny Gapas-Agbada of Branch 100 are handling other criminal and civil cases pending before the sala of Judge Reyes.

Motions pending before the court drag the trial of the case with both parties insisting that the motions should first be resolved before proceeding with the trial of the case.

Reyes and the third assisting Judge have been also allowed to resolve the other motions despite pendency of some of it before the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court.

The high court enjoins Judge Reyes to hold upon her discretion separate trials on accused. The prosecutors believe that there is no need to present further evidence and submit the case for decision without prejudice to applying other modes of terminating a case in advance of a full trial.

Also, the high court allowed the lower court to issue separate rulings on matters in any of the 58 cases of murder without waiting for the completion of evidence for all the accused.

The high court also allowed the use judicial affidavits for the remaining witnesses and attach exhibits (evidence) at least 10 days before the scheduled date of testimony and provide copies to the public prosecutor or lead counsel for the accused.

Judicial affidavits are being used in the civil aspect of the case where relatives of the victims detail their testimonies instead of testifying in court.

Out of 197 accused, 104 accused have been arraigned.

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