WPP delaying Ampatuan massacre trial - judge

The Quezon City court hearing the high-profile Maguindanao massacre case on Wednesday accused the government’s Witness Protection Program (WPP) of contributing to the delay of the trial. Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 made her observation after prosecution lawyers informed her that suspect Sukarno Badal — who is being considered to become a state witness — could not make it to his scheduled arraignment. Badal is the former vice mayor of Sultan Sabarongis town in Maguindanao. He went into hiding for more than a year and surrendered to authorities November last year. Badal is said to be the right-hand man of Andal Ampatuan Jr., a prime accused in the case, and is also allegedly involved in the gruesome killings of 57 people on Nov. 23, 2009. Two weeks ago, Solis-Reyes ordered the WPP to present Badal in the next hearing so he could be arraigned. On Wednesday, the judge stressed that her court appropriately informed the WPP through mail about the request. “But the WPP, despite a notice, failed to produce the accused, thus causing delay in the administration of justice," said Solis-Reyes in wrapping up the day’s proceedings inside a makeshift courtroom at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City. In response, Assistant State prosecutor Nestor Lazaro reviewed the contents of the court order and told the judge that it did not seem clear in the order that the WPP was being required to present Badal at Wednesday’s hearing. Defense lawyer Sigfrid Fortun then stood up and said he does not agree with Lazaro’s explanation. “Attorney Lazaro, you are quibbling on this issue," he said. Fortun said the prosecutors should have been made responsible for Badal’s non-appearance. “The WPP is under your agency, the Department of Justice, and is housed in the same building as the DOJ," he said. — KBK, GMA News