Ampatuan trial judge gets relief on case load

The trial court judge handling the Maguindanao massacre case has been relieved of other cases lodged before her sala so that she could concentrate in hearing the multiple murder charges filed against 197 individuals led by members of the influential Ampatuan clan. Supreme Court spokesman Jose Midas Marquez said they are also planning to exclude Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of Quezon City Regional Trial Court branch 221 from the raffle of cases. “That means no new cases will be coming to her court for the meantime. That would give her more time to concentrate and focus on the Ampatuan trial," Marquez, who is also the court's administration, said Tuesday. As court administrator, Marquez is tasked to supervise all lower courts and personnel in the country. He said two RTC judges — Caloocan Judge Rowena Tan and QC RTC Judge Vivencio Baclig — have been assigned to handle the other cases previously raffled to Solis-Reyes. Solis-Reyes is hearing the 57 counts of murder filed against several members of the powerful Ampatuan clan led by its patriarch, former Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr., in connection with the November 23, 2009 carnage that left 57 people dead. On Monday, three members of the Ampatuan clan asked the Supreme Court to order the transfer of the trial from Camp Bagong Bicutan in Taguig City to Quezon City Hall of Justice where RTC Branch 221 is regularly performing its judicial functions. Datu Akmad Ampatuan, Datu Sajid Ampatuan and Datu Anwar Ampatuan argued in their 31-page petition that the current venue infringes on the right of petitioners to an impartial and public trial, which is tantamount to a denial of due process. - KBK, GMANews.TV