Wife of slain journalist breaks down during Ampatuan trial

The wife of one of the slain journalists in the Ampatuan massacre on Thursday was led out of the court room after becoming hysterical during the day's trial. Workers of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) rushed to assist a sobbing Myrna Reblando, wife of slain Manila Bulletin journalist Bong Reblando. "Sabihin ninyo kay Atty. Manuel bobo siya... Asan ba ang abugado ng mga Ampatuan [expletives] sila," Reblando said outside the court room while being attended to by the health workers. Reblando was referring to defense lawyer Andres Manuel who had suggested in a previous hearing that some of the 57 massacre victims could have died from illnesses and not from gunshot wounds on November 23, 2009. "Hindi naman siraulo mga asawa namin doon para magpatayan lang," said Editha Tiamzon, a relative of another victim, as she reacted to Manuel's line of questioning during his cross examination of medico-legal expert Dean Cabrera two weeks ago.
The relatives of other victims went outside the court room to help pacify the hysterical Reblando during Thursday's hearing. Private prosecutor Nena Santos, legal counsel for Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu, the husband of one of the victims, said she understood Reblando's actions in court. She said Reblando might have resented Manuel's comments that the victims could have died of illnesses on the day of the massacre. Asked by GMANews.TV, Manuel refused to comment on the incident and said he was not aware that Reblando had hurled expletives at him while outside the court room. Reblando has yet to return inside the court but Santos said: "Definitely, babalik siya dito sa loob, baka magpapalamig lang sandali ng ulo [She will definitely return. She's just trying to get herself together]." Ampatuan massacre The Maguindanao massacre, also known as the Ampatuan massacre, occurred on November 23, 2009 in Ampatuan town in Maguindanao province in Mindanao. At the time, the massacre victims were on their way to file Mangudadatu's certificate of candidacy for Maguindanao governor. Mangudadatu, then Buluan vice mayor, won the gubernatorial post during the May 10 polls. The 57 people who were brutally killed and buried in a mass grave in Ampatuan town included Mangudadatu's wife, his two sisters, journalists, lawyers, aides, and motorists who were witnesses or were mistakenly identified as part of the convoy. A 58th victim, a photographer, remains missing. On the first anniversary of the massacre on November 23 last year, journalists worldwide called for a "Global Day of Action" because of the massacre, which stands as the world’s single biggest atrocity against journalists. The journalists killed on that day represent the largest number of media persons killed in a single day. – VVP, GMANews.TV