It might be incomprehensible, frustrating, and even elusive, but one thing Reynafe is certain: They will find justice for the death of his father.
She is the daughter of photojournalist Reynaldo Momay, one of the victims of the Nov. 23, 2009 Maguindanao massacre.
Momay’s dentures were found at the crime scene in Brgy. Salman in Ampatuan, Maguindanao (now Maguindanao del Sur). However, the verdict handed in December 2019 did not recognize Momay as one of the victims because his body was never found.
“Hindi ka abogado, wala ka sa linya na ‘yon, pero kailangan mo minsang intindihin. Alam mo ba ‘yong gusto mong intindihin na ang hirap siyang intindihin?” Reynafe told NewsWatch Plus.
[Translation: You’re not a lawyer but you have to comprehend the legalities. Do you know that feeling that you want to understand what happened but it’ s just difficult?]
Reynafe has filed an appeal in the Court of Appeals, but until now, there has been no progress. She and her lawyers could speculate what happened but they are determined to get updates.
“A day, a month, a year, ‘no, walang hustisya. It’s the same story, walang hustisya,” she said.
[Translation: A day, a month, a year, there is no justice. It’s the same story, there is no justice.]
’97’: ‘image’: ‘jcr:26b0e445-fdfa-42b5-b99c-dc0ccfecfcec’ ‘imageCaption’: ‘A backhoe unearths more bodies from a shallow grave at the site of a massacre of a political clan that included several journalists in the outskirts of Ampatuan, Maguindanao in southern Philippines, on Nov. 25,
The Maguindanao massacre happened as 58 people, including 32 journalists and media workers, were on their way to the provincial capitol where Esmael Mangudadatu was to file candidacy papers for the gubernatorial post. Mangudadatu was challenging Andal Jr. of the Ampatuan clan, one of Mindanao’s leading Muslim political families.
On Dec. 19, 2019, Judge Jocelyn Solis Reyes of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court convicted Andal Ampatuan Jr. and Zaldy Ampatuan of 57 counts of murder. The Ampatuan brothers were sentenced to reclusion perpetua without parole.
The patriarch, Andal Ampatuan Sr., died of liver cancer in July 2015. The three of them were the accused masterminds.
Forgiveness and justice
Drawing out her strength from God and her faith, Reynafe said she has already forgiven the killers. This was despite their family not having closure with what happened — no remains of her father to look at.
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