{"id":240418,"date":"2019-12-19T22:16:37","date_gmt":"2019-12-20T03:16:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=240418"},"modified":"2019-12-19T22:16:37","modified_gmt":"2019-12-20T03:16:37","slug":"senators-hail-guilty-verdict-in-maguindanao-massacre-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2019\/12\/19\/senators-hail-guilty-verdict-in-maguindanao-massacre-case\/","title":{"rendered":"Senators hail guilty verdict in Maguindanao massacre case"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cJustice won today,\u201d Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto said in a short statement. (File photo:<\/a> Senate of the Philippines\/Facebook<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

MANILA<\/strong>\u00a0— Senators on Thursday lauded the guilty verdict handed down against several members of the influential Ampatuan clan involved in the massacre of 57 people – including 31 members of the media, in Maguindanao in 2009.<\/p>\n

\u201cJustice won today,\u201d Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto said in a short statement.<\/p>\n

Senator Joel Villanueva said the decision “restores faith in the justice system” as he praised Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221.<\/p>\n

\u201cI salute Judge Jocelyn Solis Reyes for her dedication and her courage to stand for what is right and just,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe hope that our authorities continue to account for the other accused who have yet to be arrested and tried,\u201d Villanueva said.<\/p>\n

For Senator Francis Tolentino, the attainment of justice \u201cshows that faith and vigilance in the judicial system is a primordial norm of a civilized society.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile the penalty may be wanting for some, lets us hope that this will never happen again,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Senator Imee Marcos said the guilty verdict against the principal accused is a victory for justice.<\/p>\n

\u201cBagamat masasabing napakailap ng hustisya dahil na rin sa tagal ng paglilitis, ang promulgasyon na isinagawa ngayon ay positibong aksyon para sa mga biktima at sa kalaunan ay tuluyang mapanagot ang iba pang akusado sa<\/em>\u00a0Maguindanao massacre (While it can be said that justice may have been elusive due to the length of the trial, today\u2019s promulgation is a positive action for the victims and, ultimately, towards bringing the other accused to justice),\u201d she said in a statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cNais din natin bigyan ng diin na ang pagkakapaslang sa<\/em>\u00a032 journalists\u00a0noong Nobyembre<\/em>\u00a023, 2009,\u00a0ay isang patunay na ang karahasan para supilin ang malayang pamamahayag, kaylan man, ay hindi magtatagumpay<\/em>\u00a0(We also want to stress that the slaying of the 32 journalists is proof that the violent suppression of press freedom will never ever succeed),\u201d Marcos said.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Senator Risa Hontiveros said the verdict is the first step toward healing and justice.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am glad that this decision finally saw the light of day, and the truth is this decision should have come sooner. The world has waited 10, long years, and finally, we have taken the first step towards healing, accountability, and justice,” she said in a statement<\/p>\n

She said the next step should be to work toward the greater goal of \u201cending the lawless violence perpetrated by political dynasties\u201d who only want to cling to power and look after their own self-interest.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe must ensure the success of the BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) and that the Philippines stops becoming a dangerous place for members of the press, or for anyone exercising their democratic rights. The road to justice ends when we ensure that any similar attack on the free press and our democratic rights never happens again,\u201d Hontiveros said.<\/p>\n

The Quezon City court earlier found Datu Andal Ampatuan Jr., Zaldy Ampatuan and other members of the clan guilty of murder \u201cbeyond reasonable doubt\u201d in the worst election-related violence in the country and one of the deadliest attacks against journalists in the world.<\/p>\n

However, the court acquitted Sajid Islam Ampatuan and Datu Akmad \u201cTato\u201d Ampatuan Sr. and several police officers accused in the case due to reasonable doubt.<\/p>\n

Originally there were 58 victims in the Nov. 23, 2009 massacre, but the 58th victim, Reynaldo Momay, a local media photographer, was declared “missing” when only the bodies of the 57 other victims were discovered at the crime scene.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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