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Prosecutors question non-mention of Maguindanao massacre case in SONA


Prosecutors criticized President Benigno Aquino III for not mentioning the Maguindanao massacre case when he delivered his State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the Batasan Pambansa on Monday. The prosecutors in the Maguindanao massacre case noted that Aquino did mention "extrajudicial killings" in passing but wondered why he omitted mentioning the Maguindanao massacre, considered by some as one of the worst incident of extrajudicial killing in the Philippines. "The non-inclusion of the massacre case in the SONA sends a signal that it does not seem to be a priority of the Aquino government," Roque told GMA News Online on Tuesday. Roque added that the mere "recent developments" that stemmed from suspect Rizaldy "Zaldy" Ampatuan's supposed revelations about the carnage and past election fraud in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao should have necessitated the inclusion of the issue in the President's 57-minute long speech. In his SONA - delivered before members of Congress, the judiciary, the executive department, and other government personalities - Aquino lauded the Department of Justice's efforts in filing cases against personalities involved in high-profile crimes and irregularities. "Buo ang kumpiyansa ko na tinutupad ng Department of Justice ang malaki nilang bahagi upang maipiit ang mga salarin, lalo na sa mga kaso ukol sa tax evasion, drug trafficking, human trafficking, smuggling, graft and corruption, at extrajudicial killings," he said. Though still without an official definition, an extrajudicial killing is commonly referred to as the killing of a person by government forces without first undergoing due process or legal proceedings. For her part, private prosecutor Nena Santos said Zaldy's revelations might have something to do with the case's non-inclusion in Aquino's speech. "We are wary now because of the recent developments where some of his (Aquino's) alter ego deal with Zaldy Ampatuan. It sends a wrong signal that justice is subject to a compromise," she said. Santos represents families of 26 victims, including Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu, who lost his wife and two sisters in the November 23, 2009 carnage. Private prosecutors earlier cast doubts on Zaldy's intention in cooperating with the government, with Santos saying the suspended governor was only after his "self-preservation." Roque also earlier claimed that Zaldy's camp seemed to be striking a deal with Malacañang - through supposed emissaries - in an attempt to either exonerate him from the criminal cases he is facing or enter a plea bargain agreement in which he could plead guilty to a lesser offense. Both the Palace and Zaldy's camp have denied the prosecution's accusation. 197 people, including Zaldy, other members of the powerful Ampatuan clan, local policemen in Maguindanao, and the clan's supposed private army, are facing multiple murder charges for the killing of 57 people on a hilly portion of Sitio Masalay in Barangay Salman in Maguindanao. More than 90 suspects have already been arrested, while more than 100 are still at large. Arrested suspects, including Ampatuan clan patriarch Andal Sr and son Andal Jr., have all pleaded not guilty to the charges. - VVP, GMA News

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