DOJ exec belies alleged conspiracy in Maguindanao massacre case

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

MANILA, Philippines–Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan branded as juvenile, irresponsible the statements of private lawyers in the Maguindanao massacre case that he is conspiring with the principal accused in the case.

Lawyers Nena Santos and Prima Jesusa Quinsayas alleged that there is a conspiracy between public prosecutors and lawyers of the Ampatuan clan following the prosecutors’ move to rest their case on some of the over 100 accused including Andal Ampatuan Jr.

The Ampatuans, led by its patriarch Andal Ampatuan Sr. have been charged with 58 counts of murder which includes 32 journalists.

Santos and Quinsayas also mentioned the meeting between Baraan and Atty. Sigfried Fortun, counsel of Andal Sr. and Andal Jr.

“Their statement was very irresponsible, malicious,” Baraan told reporters Friday.

Baraan said that the two lawyers’ claim that they were not consulted about their plan “is a total lie.”

He said the two lawyers were informed of the plan to formally submit their evidence against the 28 accused.

“We have decided to do this in compliance with the Supreme Court’s guideline allowing a separate trial for all the accused,” Baraan explained.

“If it’s reasonable and necessary, we will do it. It should be the call of (Justice) Secretary Leila De Lima…She can say what she wants but she cannot insist what she wants us to do. She cannot be like a spoiled child who always gets what she wants,” Baraan said.

On the meeting with Fortun, Baraan admitted that Fortun made an unannounced visit to his office at the Department of Justice.

“We talked of several things other than Ampatuan. They are insinuating that if Fortun visited you, you will talk of nothing but Ampatuan. It is unfair to Fortun and unfair to me,” he said.

This is not the first time that a rift happened between the private and public prosecutors in the Ampatuan case.

During the early stages of the trial, then prosecution head Assistant Chief State Prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon and his team was replaced due to a rift with their private counterparts led by Santos.

De Lima explained that she replaced Fadullon and his team because they lacked “zeal and aggressiveness” in handling the case.