Palace hopes for speedy trial on Maguindanao massacre case

MANILA — The case against the suspects in the Maguindanao massacre will continue despite the death of former Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr., a Palace official said.

“The case will proceed, of course, against the others —the other accused —who remain alive,” Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a radio interview on Saturday.

“Pagdating lang po dito, kay Andal Ampatuan, Sr., the case will be… Kasi death extinguishes criminal liability,” she told dzRB Radyo ng Bayan noting there are other means to claim for damages.

“But of course, as far as the main case against the other accused are concerned, of course that will proceed.”

As to the time frame whether the case could be finished within the term of President Aquino, Valte said like the families of the victims and the general public, the President also wants immediate conclusion to the trial.

The government knows the frustrations of the bereaved families of the victims and the President understands it, she said.

“We understand dahil ang daming akusado, parang hindi po lahat ay nahuli at the same time, so iba-iba ho ‘yung takbo ng mga legal proceedings laban po sa mga akusadong ito,” Valte said.

“Kaya naman po, dahil kinikilala ng ating Pangulo ang nararamdaman ng mga pamilya, that’s why the President has given strict orders to the prosecution under the executive to make sure that they remain vigilant against dilatory tactics or against delay.”

Although the President wants a speedy trial, it must be recognized that the verdict in the case will not be handed down by the President but by the presiding judge handling the case.

“So ang ginagawa lang po on the executive side ay siguraduhin na mapabilis po ang kaso sa side natin, at hindi po tayo ang maging cause ng delay, at labanan po natin ‘yung delay na baka ginagawa ng kabilang side,” she said.

Ampatuan, Sr., one of the suspects in the worst case of election-related violence in Philippine history, died on Friday night (July 17), his lawyer said.

He died at about 10:02 p.m. of liver cancer at the National Kidney Transplant Institute (NKTI) in Quezon City.