{"id":240403,"date":"2019-12-19T02:07:28","date_gmt":"2019-12-19T07:07:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=240403"},"modified":"2019-12-19T02:07:28","modified_gmt":"2019-12-19T07:07:28","slug":"ptfoms-celebrates-conviction-of-maguindanao-massacre-perpetrators","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2019\/12\/19\/ptfoms-celebrates-conviction-of-maguindanao-massacre-perpetrators\/","title":{"rendered":"PTFoMS celebrates conviction of Maguindanao Massacre perpetrators"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
FILE: Maguindanao massacre site in Barangay Salman, Ampatuan, Maguindanao (PCOO photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

MANILA<\/strong>— The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) on Thursday welcomed the conviction of the principal suspects in the Maguindanao massacre, dubbed as the world\u2019s worst killings of journalists in history where at least 32 media workers were murdered.<\/p>\n

Undersecretary Jose Joel Sy Egco, PTFoMs executive director, said the Quezon City court’s verdict is \u201ca cause for celebration for those who value press freedom, freedom of expression and human rights.\u201d<\/p>\n

Egco called on Filipinos \u201cto remember that of the 58 people who were killed, 32 were media workers\u201d even as he noted that the case has come to be \u201cwidely regarded as the deadliest single-day attack on journalists in the world, as well as the worst election-related case of violence in recent Philippine history\u201d.<\/p>\n

He said: “there is no way in objective terms can anyone claim that there is a \u2019culture of impunity\u2019 in this country.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet me reiterate that the real heroes in this are the families of the 58 victims, the prosecution witnesses, the government and private prosecutors,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

In a previous statement, Egco predicted that it will take \u201cthe political will of a Duterte Administration to finally see this through its logical conclusion\u201d and it will be considered \u201ca part of the Duterte Legacy\u201d.<\/p>\n

On Thursday, more than 10 years since the massacre, the principal suspects in the case, including Datu Andal Ampatuan Jr. alias \u2018Unsay\u2019, were found guilty by Branch 221 Presiding Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Quezon City.<\/p>\n

Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said he initially \u201cpredicted that this is the only way the judgment should go\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs I\u2019ve said before, criminals who murder or in any way endanger journalists in this part of the world will not go unpunished. This is justice. It was admittedly a slow process but we have to go through it as warranted by our democratic system,\u201d said Andanar, also PTFoMS co-chairperson.<\/p>\n

On Nov. 23, 2009, at least 58 were killed in Maguindanao province while en route to Shariff Aguak to file the certificate of candidacy of then Buluan vice mayor Esmael Mangudadatu. The victims included 32 media workers, six passersby, two lawyers, and the wife and sisters of Mangudadatu.<\/p>\n

The media workers murdered were the following:<\/p>\n

1. Alejandro Reblando
\n2. Andres Teodoro
\n3. Arturo Betia
\n4. Benjie Adolfo
\n5. Bienvenido Legarte Jr.
\n6. Daniel Tiamson
\n7. Ernesto Maravilla
\n8. Fernando Razon
\n9. Francisco Subang
\n10. Gina dela Cruz
\n11. Hannibal Cachuela
\n12. Henry Araneta
\n13. Jepon Cadagdagon
\n14. Jhoy Duhay
\n15. Joel Parcon
\n16. John Caniban
\n17. Jolito Evardo
\n18. Lea Dalmacio
\n19. Lindo Lupogan
\n20. Marife Monta\u00f1o
\n21. Marites Cablitas
\n22. Mark Gilbert Arriola
\n23. Napoleon Salaysay
\n24. Noel Decina
\n25. Rey Merisco
\n26. Reynaldo Momay
\n27. Romeo Jimmy Cabillo
\n28. Ronie Perante
\n29. Rosell Morales
\n30. Rubello Bataluna
\n31. Santos Gatchalian
\n32. Victor Nu\u00f1ez<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the following were among those killed :<\/p>\n

Mangudadatu clan<\/p>\n

33. Genalin Tiamzon Mangudadatu
\n34. Eden Gaguil Mangudadatu
\n35. Farinah Mangudadatu Hassan
\n36. Rowena Ante Mangudadatu
\n37. Surayyda Gaguil Bernan
\n38. Wahida Ali Kalim
\n39. Mamotabai Mangudadatu
\n40. Raida Abdul Sapalon
\n41. Faridah Sabdullah Gaguil<\/p>\n

Supporters<\/p>\n

42. Pinky Balayman
\n43. Lailani Balayman
\n44. Eugene Demillo Pamansag
\n45. Abdillah Ayada
\n46. Rahima Palawan
\n47. Meriam Calimbol<\/p>\n

Lawyers<\/p>\n

48. Concepcion Jayme-Brizuela
\n49. Cynthia Oquendo-Ayon
\n50. Catalino Oquendo Jr.<\/p>\n

Van Drivers<\/p>\n

51. Norton Edza Ebus
\n52. Razul Daud Bulilo<\/p>\n

Passersby<\/p>\n

53. Eduardo Lechonsito
\n54. Cecille Lechonsito
\n55. Mercy Palabrica
\n56. Daryll delos Reyes
\n57. Wilhelm Palabrica
\n58. Anthony Ridao<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

MANILA— The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) on Thursday welcomed the conviction of the principal suspects in the …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":220618,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1145,54365,16,95],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-240403","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headline","category-instagram","category-news","category-news-ph","mauthors-joyce-ann-l-rocamora","mauthors-christopher-lloyd-caliwan","mauthors-philippine-canadian-inquirer"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/240403","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=240403"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/240403\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":240404,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/240403\/revisions\/240404"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/220618"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=240403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=240403"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=240403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}