DOJ chief assures victims’ kin massacre case will continue

Even with her impending departure to pursue a congressional seat, Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera reassured kin of victims of the Maguindanao massacre that the government will continue its prosecution of murder and rebellion charges against the alleged perpetrators. On Wednesday, Devanadera said she met with the relatives of the victims Tuesday night in her office at the Department of Justice compound in Manila. "Kagabi inabutan ako sa opisina, late na ako umuwi. Inabutan ako ng relatives ng mga biktima, doon nakipag-usap sila sa akin at nagpapasalamat dahil nakita nila ang ginagawa ng prosecutors. Ang [iba] nagsabi ng sentimyento [at] nabalitaan nila na kakandidato at aalis ako (They approached me at the office Tuesday night. They thanked us for our work but some of them said they were sad because they learned I was leaving my post)," she said in an interview on dzRH radio. “I told them I will not be bringing the DOJ to Quezon province. I assured them the prosecution, with the support of media, will remain as intense in pursuing the charges against the suspected perpetrators," she added. Devanadera will vie for a congressional seat in her native Quezon province in this year's May elections. At present, the DOJ is pursuing murder and rebellion charges against members of the Ampatuan clan. Meanwhile, Devanadera said the DOJ will seek a "balance" in considering whether to ask a Quezon City court to allow live media coverage of the Ampatuan massacre trial. She said that while the public has the right to know about developments in the case, some [say] the right to privacy of victims' kin must be respected. "Magandang talakayin yan. Buhayin ang hinaing ng ating media community. (Pero) ang iba ayaw magpa-cover, baka maantala raw. Babalansehin natin, tama na mahalaga ang information makakarating sa kababayan on time (It is worth studying, to accommodate the needs of media while respecting the right to privacy of some relatives of victims. What we want is a balance between the right of the public to know, without disrupting the proceedings in court)," she said. She said it is possible the DOJ will ask the Quezon City court to allow at least one camera inside the courtroom, to be used as a pooled facility. - LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV