Ampatuan son granted bail by QC judge

The Maguindanao Massacre crime scene (Photo by Dann Pantoja)

MANILA, Philippines — Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 221 has set the bail for Sajid Islam Ampatuan, son of former Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr., on Saturday.

According to an ABS-CBN report, Solis-Reyes “set the bail for Sajid Islam at P200,000 per murder count, or a total of P11.6 million for the 58 counts filed before the court.”

In October 2014, Solis-Reyes also granted bail of the same amount to 16 police officers involved in the Ampatuan massacre.

In the 12-page omnibus order released by the court, it was stated that the decision was finalized after  “the prosecution panel failed to establish strong evidence that would warrant the continued detention of Sajid Islam while the trial is ongoing.”

As of posting, no one has confirmed if the younger Ampatuan will pay the P11.6-million bail.

The Maguindanao massacre or the Ampatuan massacre of November 29, 2003 to this day is still considered the most heinous politically motivated mass murder in the country’s history, which also killed dozens of members of the media.