Government frustrated by ‘slow’ massacre trial
Friday, July 22, 2011
MALACANANG on Friday expressed dismay over the slow development in Maguindanao massacre case trial.
Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the Palace is already being blamed by the public for the snail-pace massacre trial which is reflected in the recent trust ratings of President Benigno Aquino III.
“We are just frustrated with the pace of the Ampatuan massacre case. As a result of the pace na medyo may kabagalan, kami po ang napagbubuntunan. In fact, in the last survey last March, masama po ang rating ng executive branch dahil akala po ng taumbayan kami po ang may hawak ng kaso,” Lacierda said.
He noted that the executive cannot influence the court, which is an independent branch of government.
He said the Palace hopes for the trial to move a bit faster without sacrificing due process so that it would be appreciated not only by other branches of government but also by the Filipino people as a whole.
“Right now, live na po ang media coverage sa Ampatuan massacre case kaya sana tumakbo nang mas mabilis yung kaso,” he said.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) earlier joined the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) in expressing concerns over further potential delays to the massacre trial, citing the hospitalization of suspended Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) governor Zaldy Ampatuan.
“For the families of the massacre victims, this is yet another frustrating turn of events in the trials, which have been marred by a series of seemingly unnecessary delays,” IFJ Asia-Pacific chapter said in a statement.
Ampatuan’s confinement at the Philippine Heart Center drew criticisms and opposition from the prosecutors of the families of the Maguindao massacre victims.
The suspended governor’s camp was able to secure permission from the court to undergo medical check-up as out-patient last Wednesday. However, he stayed longer at the hospital after doctors diagnosed him of having acute coronary syndrome and recommended him to undergo further tests.
His legal team sought for further extension of Ampatuan at the hospital but the court denied the motion.
The massacre suspect was then brought back to Camp Bagong Diwa Friday afternoon.
The camp of the families of the Maguindanao victims has cast doubt on the health condition of Ampatuan.
Private prosecutor Nena Santos earlier claimed that Ampatuan’s attending physician, Dr. Danny Kuizon, was a friend of the suspect’s lawyer, Howard Calleja.
Lacierda said the claims of Santos should be looked into.
“The court needs to allow the release [of] the findings [of] the medical test conducted by the Heart Center or by Dr. Kuizon and his team. In that way, it will also clarify this allegation that Dr. Kuizon is one of the friends of the father of Atty. Howie Calleja,” he said.
President Aquino recently assured the families of the victims of the Maguindanao massacre that he will do everything in his power to give them justice following a meeting with them in Malacanang.
In another press conference at the Palace recently, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said her department is exercising extra caution in handling statements made by suspended Armm governor Zaldy Ampatuan, who disclosed new information about election cheating in the region in 2004 and 2007.
De Lima said the government cannot sacrifice the massacre trial for anything, as it may well serve as the litmus test for the Philippine justice system.
The President himself said that if the government fails in this case, then the entire justice system of this country also fails, she said, adding the President wants the trial finished within his term.
At least 57 people, including 32 journalists, were killed on November 2009 in Maguindanao.
The Ampatuans, close allies of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, were tagged as the main suspects. The trial has been ongoing although some of the main suspects have yet to be arraigned while there are other suspects who remain at large. (Jill Beltran/Sunnex)
Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/manila/local-news/2011/07/22/government-frustrated-slow-massacre-trial-168435
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