‘Dizzy’ Andal Jr skips multiple murder hearing

For the first time since the resumption of the Maguindanao massacre hearing last August, prime suspect Andal Ampatuan Jr. failed to attend Wednesday's proceedings due to health reasons. At the start of the hearing at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City, Inspector Adelo Natividad, deputy jail warden of the Quezon City Jail Annex, told the court that Andal Jr., former mayor of Datu Unsay town in Maguindanao, was suffering from stomach pains. Natividad also said Andal Jr. was suffering from colds and dizziness. A urine test on the prime suspect was done, but its results were not immediately available. Andal Jr.'s blood pressure was measured at 120/90. He was given paracetamol to relieve his pains. Natividad also said they had already asked a professional doctor to visit Andal Jr. in his detention cell for a checkup. [See related: Mangudadatu says Andal Jr faked illness] Trial must go on After the jail warden made his manifestation, Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes decided to proceed with the trial for the 57 counts of murder against 196 suspects in the November 23, 2009 massacre. On Wednesday's hearing, the prosecution presented its fourth witness, Inspector Rex Ariel Diongon, a co-accused in the multiple murder case and is a prospective state witness. [See related: Andal Jr, men beat up victims first before shooting them - witness] Before the trial went into a lunch break, assistant chief state prosecutor Anthony Fadullon manifested to the judge that the doctor who was supposed to perform a check up on Andal Jr. has not yet arrived. Fadullon said he was informed that the doctor could not immediately attend to the murder suspect because he "was still in a meeting" three hours after the hearing started. In the past, Andal Jr., who has never failed to attend any hearing, would quietly watch the proceedings from his seat, occasionally yawning, smiling, or laughing, depending on what was transpiring inside the court room. In one of the past hearings, Andal Jr. was seen laughing along with most people inside the court room when one of the prosecution witnesses tried re-enacting how the former mayor supposedly bellowed and order the members of the convoy of their rival clan, the Mangudadatus, to "Dapa!" on the day of the massacre. Wednesday's hearing, which started around 9:20 a.m., was attended by families of the 57 victims in the massacre, including Maguindanao Gov. Esmael "Toto" Mangudadatu. - KBK, GMANews.TV