Filtered By: Topstories
News

Fewer witnesses eyed to expedite massacre trial


Both the defense and the prosecution panels in the Maguindanao massacre trial have agreed to expedite the proceedings by limiting the number of people - particularly relatives of the victims - who will testify when the civil aspect of the case is tackled later. During’s Wednesday’s hearing, prosecution lawyers asked Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes if they could submit “judicial affidavits" of relatives of the 57 massacre victims in relation with the civil aspect of the multiple murder case. The prosecution further requested that not more than 15 of the 57 relatives of the victims be allowed to testify in court. The civil liabilities of the murder suspects will be tackled after the judge has resolved the criminal aspect of the case. It seeks to determine whether damages should be awarded to the families. The prosecution, however, declined to give a figure as to how much moral damages it would be asking from the suspects, which included members of the powerful Ampatuan family, saying it would vary from one family to another. “Mahirap pa malaman kung magkano. Aalamin pa namin ang income na puwede sanang na-earn ng bawat victim kung buhay pa sila," said private prosecutor Nena Santos, who's working for Maguindanao Gov. Esmael “Toto" Mangudadatu, who lost his wife and sisters to the massacre. (We don’t know yet how much we will be asking. We still have to determine how much income the victims are capable to earn if they were still alive.) Referee The court agreed with the suggestion to limit testimonies after all defense lawyers representing the 15 suspects on trial, including prime suspect Andal Ampatuan Jr, did not manifest any objection. Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan III, whom Justice Secretary Leila de Lima assigned to supervise the prosecutors handling the Maguindanao massacre case, said this was a welcome development in the trial that is expected to drag on for years. “Nakita niyo naman, hindi nag-object ang defense sa suggestion namin (As you can see, the defense didn’t object to our suggestion)," said Baraan. Assistant Chief State Prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon said he has yet to speak with the other private and public prosecutors regarding who among the 57 relatives would be chosen to testify. Myrna Reblando, wife of slain Manila Bulletin reporter Alejandro “Bong" Alejandro, said she would definitely want to be one of the relatives who should be made to testify. Baraan said he would be regularly attending the hearings from now on “as long as long as my schedule allows it." “I’ll be here to oversee the prosecutors. I will be their referee," he said. Wednesday’s hearing adjourned after a short cross examination of suspect policeman Rex Alex Diongon. Bi-weekly hearing will start next week and will last for a month, except on the last week of December because of the Christmas and New Year holidays. - KBK, GMANews.TV

LOADING CONTENT