Farmer allowed to testify in bail proceedings for Ampatuan case

The Quezon City court hearing the Maguindanao massacre case has denied "for lack of merit" a request to exclude a local farmer from becoming a witness in the petitions for bail of several of the accused. The request was orally manifested in court on Sept. 7 by defense lawyer Paris Real, who insisted that the prosecution should no longer present Norodin Mauyag and instead make a formal offer of evidence. Mauyag, a farmer, claimed to have seen prime suspect Andal Ampatuan Jr. and his men flag down the ill-fated convoy carrying the victims at Sitio Malating in Barangay Salman in Ampatuan town on Nov. 23, 2009. He took the witness stand in Sept. 2009 and again a year later to give more details about the armed group he saw on the day of the massacre. Fellow defense lawyers Andres Manuel Jr. and Laguindab Marohombsar joined Real in the oral petition opposing Mauyag's testimony. Real stressed that both parties in the case have made "prior agreement" that the prosecution will only present eight to 10 witnesses for the petition for bail. But in a two-page order issued on Wednesday, Solis-Reyes sided with the prosecution, saying it has the right to present additional witnesses like Mauyag because 36 other accused had subsequently filed their own petitions for bail. "Taking into consideration the number of accused involved in the bail hearing which was increased to 47... justice and equity dictate that the prosecution must be given enough leeway to present its witnesses in order to discharge its duty pursuant to Section 8, Rule 114 of the Rules on Criminal Procedures," Solis-Reyes said. Apart from Andal Jr., also charged with murder for the killings are his father Andal Sr., and brothers Sajid and Rizaldy. The clan's supposed private army and members of the local police and military are likewise implicated in the murder case. Fifty-seven people were killed in the massacre including members of rival Mangudadatu clan, the clan’s supporters, and 32 journalists. - Mark D. Merueñas/KBK, GMA News