Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo on Tuesday said "so far there is nothing substantial" in Maguindanao massacre suspect and suspended Governor Rizaldy "Zaldy" Ampatuan's offer to become a state witness in the controversial case. In a press conference in Quezon City, Robredo said, "We have to cautiously assess Zaldy Ampatuan's offer to turn state witness in the Maguindanao massacre." In a surprising move on Monday, Zaldy, former governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and one of the principal accused in the massacre case, signified his intention to turn into a state witness. Zaldy said he no longer cared who would get pinned down with his revelations if the government ever admits him to the Witness Protection Program and convert him into a witness. Robredo said the last time he spoke with Zaldy was when he visited the accused man in detention at the Quezon City Jail Annex in taguig City to check if the massacre suspects were receiving special treatment as claimed by relatives of the slain victims.
Rigid requirements for Zaldy to be state witnessA University of the Philippines (UP) law professor said suspended Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan must hurdle rigid court requirements before becoming a state witness in the Maguindanao massacre case. Zaldy is among the 197 people accused of multiple murder in connection with the gruesome Nov. 23, 2009 massacre in Maguindanao province. On Monday, Zaldy has spoken out to express his willingness to turn state witness by telling the truth against whomever is accused in the massacre case, be it his father, Andal Ampatuan Sr., or his brother, Andal Jr. “Yung tatay ko, yung kapatid ko, yung ibang akusado dinidinig na ang kanilang kaso sa korte. Kahit sino pa man na-involve sa krimen na ito na karumal-dumal. Kahit sino pa ang matatamaan, handa ako," he told GMA News in an interview. UP professor Theodore Te, who teaches criminal law, said the move to turn a suspect into a state witness is generally "done with coordination with the public prosecutor who has control over the case." In this case, Zaldy's camp should coordinate with Department of Justice (DOJ) Assistant Regional Prosecutor Peter Medalle, who heads the team of public prosecutors in the massacre case. However, Medalle's boss, Justice Sec. Leila de Lima, said her department is reluctant to make Zaldy a state witness. Read more "The information he gave me during my surprise visit to Bicutan... have all been repoorted in the papers and broadcast in radio and TV," Robredo said. He said he assured Zaldy of his security in case he decides to turn against his relatives accused in the massacre case. "Sinabi ko kay Zaldy na kung magsasalita ka at sinabi mo na kailangan ka i-secure, ise-secure ka namin," Robredo said. If Zaldy eventually offers a tetsimony that would be "beneficial to the case," Robredo said the Justice department would ultimately be the agency that would have the final say on whether to turn the suspended governor into a witness. Robredo also acknowledged the fact that so far, none of the victims, including Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu, has welcomed Zaldy's flip-flopping. "The government's interest in the case is to find out the truth about the massacre and give justice to the family of the 57 victims," Robredo said. Zaldy has yet to be arraigned in the case, while his brother Andal Ampatuan Jr. and their father and clan patriarch Andal Ampatuan Sr have both pleaded not guilty to the charges. The three Ampatuans are among the 197 people accused of multiple murder for the 2009 Maguindanao massacre.
Maguindanao 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 Esmael Mangudadatu's certificate of candidacy for Maguindanao governor. Mangudadatu, then Buluan vice mayor, eventually 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, lawyers, aides, and motorists who were witnesses or were mistakenly identified as part of the convoy. The victims also included 32 journalists who were with the convoy. A 58th victim is still missing.
- VVP, GMA News 
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