A journalists’ group on Tuesday lauded government prosecutors’ defiance of a decision to drop multiple murder charges filed against two Ampatuan clan members involved in the November 23 Maguindanao massacre. Walking out of their offices after Justice Secretary Alberto Agra issued the decision was “the honorable thing" to do, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) said in a statement Tuesday.
From Arroyo’s election lawyer to counsel of state-led corporations Alberto Agra has a long record of working for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Besides being her election lawyer in a 2006 impeachment case, Agra has also worked as the chief of the Office of the Corporate Government Counsel. (See: Agra has long been insider in Arroyo govt) The walk-out was led by Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors, led by Chief State Prosecutor Claro Arellano. Agra ordered on Friday the dropping of multiple murder charges filed against Zaldy and Akmad Ampatuan, saying he had “no evidence" that the two were involved in the killing of more than 50 people in Maguindanao last November 23. (See:
Prosecutors defy Agra over order to clear 2 Ampatuans) Arellano and several other prosecutors walked out of a meeting on Monday and openly denounced Agra’s order, which they said was reached without their knowledge. The DOJ prosecutors called for a review of Agra’s order, saying it convinces “a long skeptical public that our criminal justice system is impotent when the accused are politically influential." The NUJP likewise criticized Agra’s “scandalous resolution," saying it was “an attempt to subvert justice." “This is not the first time the head of the justice department has dishonored the primary reason for which our institution exists," the group said. Agra ordered on Friday the dropping of multiple murder charges filed against Zaldy and Akmad Ampatuan, saying he say “no evidence" that the two were involved in the killing of more than 50 people inMaguindanao last November 23. On Tuesday, DOJ prosecutors openly denounced and called for a review of Agra’s order, saying it convinces “a long skeptical public that our criminal justice system is impotent when the accused are politically influential." The NUJP also urged Chief State Prosecutor Arellano to “exercise as much zeal in pursuing justice" for the victims of the massacre.
- RJAB Jr./JV, GMANews.TV 
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