More days, witnesses eyed per week for Maguindanao massacre trial

The judge hearing the high profile Maguindanao massacre case may allow a thrice-a-week hearing instead of the current twice-a-week setup to expedite the two-year-old proceedings. At the same time, Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 also wants the prosecution to prepare at least five witnesses per trial day. The judge suggested the changes after defense lawyer Sigfrid Fortun, legal counsel for principal suspects Andal Ampatuan Sr. and his son Andal Jr., moved to suspend Wednesday’s afternoon’s proceedings after the prosecution presented two witnesses. As agreed upon last year, the prosecution is required to have two witnesses each trial day. In past instances, hearings were suspended after the two witnesses finish their testimonies early. This led Solis-Reyes to direct the prosecution to prepare from five to six witnesses each trial day starting next week so there would be more witnesses on stand by in case the first two witnesses finish early. Private prosecutor Prima Quinsayas raised some reservations with Solis-Reyes’ order, saying the non-government organization funding the trips of complainant-witnesses is complaining about spending money to fly complainants who would end up not taking the witness stand because of time constraints. Most of the complainant-witnesses are from Mindanao. To this, Solis-Reyes proposed: "If you want I can designate an additional date for the private complainants to be heard so that they will no longer complain that they are not able to take the witness stand." Solis-Reyes suggested that the additional trial day be held every Monday, at the same time as "motion day" or the day specifically designated to hear various pleadings and motions connected to the massacre case. "We will have motion day and at the same time hear the private complainants," Solis-Reyes said. She, however, stressed that the final decision would depend a consensus between the two parties in the case. Defense lawyers agreed to the proposal, while the prosecution said it will first have to consult with the private prosecutors who failed to attend Wednesday's hearing. Of the seven private prosecutors in the case, only Quinsayas was able to show up during the day’s trial. Quinsayas, like the defense lawyers, was amenable to Solis-Reyes' suggestions. Also on Wednesday, the prosecution agreed to the defense's request that the latter be informed at least a week in advance if the prosecution would be planning to present a military or police witness. For eyewitnesses, the prosecution has the option of informing the defense at least 24 hours before he or she takes the stand. Standing accused in the high-profile murder trial are 197 suspects, including prominent members of the powerful Ampatuan clan, as well as dozens of local Maguindanao police and the clan's supposed private army. They are all accused of murdering 57 people in Nov. 23, 2009, mostly belonging to an electoral convoy tasked to register a known Ampatuan rival in the 2010 gubernatorial race. - KBK, GMA News