MANILA: Governor Esmael Mangungudadatu yesterday expressed confidence that victims of the 2009 Maguindanao massacre will get justice before the end of President Aquino’s term in 2016.
Mangudadatu took the witness stand again for the continuation of the hearing of the massacre case inside a secured courtroom of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 under Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes. “We have faith under this present administration that justice will be served. I am confident that before 2016, there will be a verdict,” he said.
At the witness stand, the Maguindanao governor told the court how he found it strange that despite the close personal and political ties between his family and the Ampatuans, no message of condolence were relayed by the Ampatuan clan during the wake of the massacre that killed 58 persons, including his wife, two sisters and two aunts. Mangudadatu pointed out the lack of sympathy, adding that they really are responsible for the massacre.
Mangudadatu said the hearing of the case appears to be taking a very slow pace considering the number of material witnesses being presented. He said he was personally assured by President Aquino that justice will be served for the massacre victims.
He added that the president told him that the government won’t abandon them and ascertain that heads will roll.
Meanwhile, Mangudadatu was grilled at the witness stand by defence lawyer Paris Real as the defence panel tried to make him agree in the possibility that the massacre at Sito Masalay, Ampatuan town, was the work of lawless elements.
Real particularly pressed Mangudadatu on the possibility that armed lawless elements were the ones who set-up the checkpoint which blocked the convoy bearing Mangudadatu’s certificate of candidacy as governor of Maguindanao.
During his questioning, Real asked Mangudadatu if checkpoints are established during election time. Mangudadatu said that checkpoints are set-up based on the order of the Commission on Elections.
When Real asked if checkpoints could also be put-up by lawless elements, Mangudadatu said he does not know. When asked by Real if checkpoints are not meant to kidnap people, Mangudadatu answered that it “depends on the minds of the people manning the checkpoint.” “They (defence panel) wants to acknowledge that lawless elements were the ones behind the massacre, but there are too many police officers who were involved,” Mangudadatu later told the reporters.
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