Silence as court marks 2nd year of Maguindanao massacre

A full minute of silence was observed during Wednesday’s hearing on the Maguindanao massacre case to commemorate the second anniversary of the carnage that left 57 people dead and one missing. It was Assistant Regional State Prosecutor Peter Medalle who requested for the silence, which was approved by Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes. Although police said 57 people were killed in the carnage, families of the victims said there were actually 58, including Reynaldo Momay, the missing 61-year-old photojournalist of the weekly community paper Midland Review. Of the 57 known victims, 32 were journalists while six were considered chance motorists. The rest were relatives and supporters of incumbent Maguindanao Governor Esmael “Toto" Mangudadatu. "I actually would have wanted 59 seconds of silence, the last second is for Leo," Medalle said, referring to Senior State Prosecutor Leo Dacera, who led the prosecution until his death on Nov. 4, 2010 due to heart attack. Dacera, who also headed the Witness Protection Program, was reportedly seen depressed and troubled apparently due to work-related causes prior to his death. During Wednesday's trial, several relatives of the massacre victims showed up to express their disappointment over the two-year-old case. "Parang mamamatay na lang ako, hindi ko pa nakikitang na-resolve itong kaso," said Juliet Evardo, mother of slain UNTV editor Jolito Evardo. For Catherine Nuñez, Christmas will never be the same without her son Victor Nuñez, also from UNTV. She appealed to the media to never falter in covering the high-profile trial. As of posting time, prosecution witness Maj. Peter Navero of the Army's 64th Infantry Battalion was taking the stand. He was narrating about the group of policemen he saw manning the checkpoint where the massacre victims were flagged down before they were mercilessly gunned down by men associated with the powerful Ampatuan clan. - Mark D. Merueñas/KBK, GMA News