Ampatuan Jr – Not Guilty!?
Andal Ampatuan Jr, the (ex-) Datu Unsay Mayor, pleaded not guilty to 15 additional murder charges filed against him for his role in the massacre of 57 people in Ampatuan town, Maguindanao province on 23rd of November 2009.
Ampatuan Jr. had previously pleaded not guilty to 41 murder charges filed against him by the Department of Justice, based on evidence provided by the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
The arraignment for the 15 additional charges was conducted before the start of the 5th hearing on Ampatuan Jr.’s petition for bail held at the PNP’s headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City. Lawyer Harry Roque, who is representing relatives of massacred journalists, also asked Quezon City Regional Trial Court Judge Jocelyn Reyes to allow the hearing to be aired live on TV. Roque, whose manifestation was supported by the media group National Union of Journalists in the Philippines, was asked to submit his manifestation in writing.
The vice Mayor Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu, whose wife and two sisters were also killed in the massacre, was scheduled for a cross examination. After Mangudadatu, the prosecution was expected to present a doctor to testify against Ampatuan Jr..
So Mr. Ampatuan Jr. says he is not guilty for 56 out of the 57 murder-charges, only one left. What do you think is going to happen to him? What should be done now? Leave your opinion below…
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James
Cut off his head
Joy B. Malsi
This trial is all just a moro-moro. In the end, he goes scot free because the court will find the evidence weak or they have cowed all those who want to testify against him ; worse they are buried with the rest of their victims.
Elena Rodriguez
We’ve seen this scenario played out in the news or on TV crime dramas. We naturally long for justice but we cannot seem to find it. If all we trusted in were imperfect people, we would lose all hope; ” God shall judge the righteous & the wicked, for there is a time there for every purpose & for every word.” Someday i know the scale of justice will be perfectly balance .