Defense lawyer refuses to grill witness in Maguindanao massacre

Claiming that the testimony of the long-time Ampatuan household friend was not credible, a defense lawyer in the Maguindanao massacre trial on Thursday refused to grill the witness. Lawyer Paris Real, defense counsel for massacre suspect and former Maguindanao officer in charge Sajid Ampatuan, refused to cross examine Lakmudin Saliao last Wednesday because he said he needed to review the transcript of stenographic notes of the witness' past testimonies in court. Real requested Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes to give him more time so he could make an "intelligent examination" of the witness. "I may or may not cross examine Mr. Saliao," Real said last Wednesday when the court asked him if he could cross examine Saliao by Thursday. But finally on Thursday, Real decided to forgo the cross examination of Saliao. "I went over his testimony but I found it incredible," Real told the court. Asked which specific parts of Saliao's testimony he did not find credible, Real said: "I found a lot but I will expound on it in the memorandum that I am preparing." In September 2010, Saliao, who used to work as a personal assistant of principal suspect in the 2009 massacre and clan patriarch Andal Ampatuan Sr., claimed he was present in two meetings in Shariff Aguak town where the supposed plan to attack the electoral convoy of the clan's rival family was hatched. Saliao said that aside from Andal Sr., present in the November 17 and 22, 2009 meetings were his sons and fellow accused Sajid, former Datu Unsay mayor Andal Jr., and suspended Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Gov. Rizaldy. At Wednesday's hearing, Saliao returned to the witness stand and positively identified Andal Sr. and Sajid as among those present in the 2009 meetings. It was the first time since the trial proceedings began one and a half years ago that accused Ampatuan clan members were positively identified as perpetrators of the Maguindanao massacre. In his testimony, Saliao also alleged that the clan patriarch shelled out millions of pesos in supposed bribe money to cover up the mass killing at Sitio Masalay in Barangay Salman Ampatuan town in Maguindanao. Killed in the incident were 57 people composed of relatives and supporters of then gubernatorial aspirant Esmael Mangudadatu, his supporters, 32 journalists, and several motorists who were mistaken to be part of the electoral convoy. The convoy was on its way to file Mangudadatu's the certificate of candidacy. Mangudadatu eventually won as Maguindanao governor during the 2010 elections.— LBG/KBK, GMA News