Bittersweet victory for families of Maguindanao massacre victims
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Thu, 19 Dec 2019 09:31:56 +0000
RELATIVES of the victims of the Maguindanao massacre along with lawyer Harry Roque attend the promulgation of the case at the Quezon City Jail Annex in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City. (Ali Vicoy)
After 10 years of pain and suffering, the aura of happiness has somehow found a place in the heart and on the face of the people who were mostly widowed and orphaned by the brutal massacre of 57 persons, mostly journalists, on November 23, 2009 in Maguindanao.
But the happiness was incomplete according to Arlene Ompag since a number of the accused was acquitted that include former acting Maguindanao governor and now Shariff Saydona Mustapha Mayor Sajid Ampatuan and several policemen.
“It’s a mixed of happiness and sadness” said Ompag whose relative, UNTV cameraman Mac Guilbert Arriola, who was among those mercilessly executed.
Sadness in the sense that aside from losing their loved ones, the witnesses, accounts during the 10-year trial as to how the massacre was planned, carried out and attempted to be covered up gave the relatives a clear picture of the ordeal that the victims had suffered.
Ompag said that it made them angry when those responsible would flatly deny their involvement and confidently claim innocence.
And sadness since up to the conclusion of the legal battle a number of the accused were acquitted while 80 more accused remain unaccounted.
But the decision was sweet in the sense that after years of legal battle, Ompag said justice was finally served.
“It’s long but it’s worth the wait because almost all of the principal suspects were convicted,” Ompag said in an interview after the promulgation.
“We have been waiting for this, I did not even notice that it’s now 10 years but we are all happy,” she added.
The children of the late Manila Bulletin reporter Alejandro “Bong Reblando, who was also killed in the massacre, said they were both thankful and a bit dismayed over the verdict.
“Salamat sa justice dahil sa principal suspects are convicted. Medyo dismayado dahil sa maraming hindi na-convict na mga pulis,” said Reblando’s son Alejandro Jr.
“I’m very happy po especially the reclusion perpetua verdict for the principal suspects. Medyo naguluhan lang po ako kasi maraming Ampatuan po and acquitted since the salient points of the ruling were not read in court,” Reblando’s daughter Mayang said.
She expressed apprehension over the reported plan of the lawyers of principal accused to appeal the case.
“I heard nga po that the lawyers of the principal suspects will file pleadings but I have faith in God that He will give the fair justice that the Maguindanao massacre victims deserve,” Mayang added.
DELAYED
Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes, of Quezon City Regional Trial Court (QCRTC) Branch 221, arrived at around 10:30 a.m., or more than one hour late of the scheduled start of the promulgation.
As she entered the makeshift courtroom at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig, she was followed by a few men carrying thick documents inside several envelopes, which appeared to include her decision on the multiple murder case leveled against 197 accused led by the powerful Ampatuan clan of Maguindanao.
Of the accused, 80 remain unaccounted which include soldiers and policemen, while a total of 101 of them stood trial but a few of them were not present on Thursday’s promulgation.
The makeshift courtroom is divided into four spaces, each separated by iron grills.
The first space is where the sala of the judge and the seats for both prosecution and defense lawyers. The next one was occupied by all the accused tightly guarded by more than 10 jail guards.
Behind the accused was another space for both the relatives of the accused and the victims while the fourth one was turned into a media center for journalist given access to cover the promulgation.
The iron grill that separate the media center was covered but they could see and hear what was happening inside through a television feeding live footage.
The promulgation started at around 11 a.m. through a roll call of all of the arrested accused.
CHEERS AND JEERS
Both the prosecution and the defense lawyers agreed to forego the reading of the entire decision and go directly to the decision.
Cheers were heard among the relatives of the victims as the principal accused led by former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan and his brother Andal “Unsay” Ampatuan were convicted and sentenced to reclusion perpetua.
But the happiness was suddenly replaced with disappointment when some of the accused were only meted with six to 10 years of imprisonment.
And later, some of the relatives were heard complaining after Sajid Ampatuan and a number of policemen were acquitted.
A few meters away, meanwhile, were weeping relatives of some of the accused after hearing of the conviction.
FORGIVEN
Noemi Parcon, wife of local newspaper publisher Joel Parcon, who was among those killed, said she had already forgiven the policemen involved.
“I began to understand their situation that time because they are just following orders, their choice then is either they follow the order or be killed,” Parcon said.
Parcon said that the policemen have already paid the price of being accessory to the crime by almost 10 years of detention.
“We also filed an administrative case against them and they were already dismissed. I think they already suffered enough and I have already forgiven them,” she added.
MEANINGFUL WAIT
Despite not getting the 100 percent conviction that he hoped for, Maguindanao 2nd District Rep. Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu said Thursday that his decade-long wait
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