Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 23) — Malacañang on Thursday said the 2009 Maguindanao massacre — where 58 people, mostly journalists, were killed — may be resolved in four years.
Communications Undersecretary Joel Egco, head of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security, said this is dependent on the number of witnesses presented by the defense.
Duterte formed the task force on media security in October 2016 to protect media practitioners and investigate killings of journalists.
Read: Duterte OKs creation of task force protecting media workers from violence
“The DOJ (Department of Justice) estimated that at the rate the trial is moving, the case may be resolved in four years, based on the assumption that the defense will present an equal number of witnesses as that of the prosecution,” Egco said in a news briefing.
November 23 is the eighth anniversary of the bloody event in which the Ampatuans, a powerful clan, allegedly gunned down the convoy of a political rival’s associates, members of his family and local media in the southern province of Maguindanao.
Read: Maguindanao massacre: 2,192 days, 0 convictions
The prosecution has already finished presenting its 190 witnesses in court, while the defense has presented 63 so far, Egco said.
“After a long and tedious search for justice, we can now see the light at the end of the tunnel,” he said. “Hoping against hope, we expect justice to be completely served for the victims and families of this most gruesome crime.”
Data from the Presidential Task Force on Media Security said 104 of the accused are detained, two are out on bail, while 82 remain at large as of November 17.
Egco said the task force is calling on the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation to intensify its manhunt for the remaining suspects.
Convictions possible as early as 2017
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, who represented some of the families of the victims as a private lawyer, said at the news briefing that convictions may be possible as early as this year.
“(Bilang) Presidential Adviser on Human Rights, gagawa rin ako ng hakbang para naman masiguro na magamit yung “first-in, first-out” at tingnan natin, either this year or early next year, ay magkaroon ng promulgation of judgement against one or two of the accused,” he said.
[Translation: As Presidential Adviser on Human Rights, I will also make steps to ensure that the “first-in, first-out” policy is used and perhaps, after this year or early next year, there will be a promulgation of judgement against one or two of the acccused.]
Roque said the “first-in, first-out” policy means that instead of the court handing down judgment after finishing the presentation of evidence against all of the accused, a judgement can be made against some once the evidence against them has been presented.
“Meron nang dalawa na submitted for resolution, so pupwede na siguro magkaroon ng resolution sa dalawang ito,” he said.
[Translation: The cases against two of the accused have already been submitted for resolution, so perhaps their cases can already resolved.]
58 dead, zero convictions
The Maguindanao massacre happened on Nov. 23, 2009, when some 100 gunmen killed 32 journalists, six passers-by, and relatives and associates of then-Buluan Vice Mayor Esmael Mangundadatu at a hillside road in Sitio Masilay, Ampatuan town.
The journalists were part of a convoy heading to the Commission on Elections office in Shariff Aguak to file Mangundadatu’s certificate of candidacy for the 2010 national elections.
Mangundadatu was running for Maguindanao governor, a post held at the time by Andal Ampatuan Sr., the father of Mangundadatu’s opponent, then-Datu Unsay mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr.
Mangundadatu eventually won the election.
The Ampatuans are among the 188 accused of committing massacre, with 106 currently undergoing trial. However, Ampatuan Sr. died in July 2015.
Read: Andal Ampatuan Sr. passes away
The trial for the Maguindanao massacre has been ongoing at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court since Aug. 31, 2010.
