Tag: Maguindanao massacre

Lila Shahani, Maguindanao massacre and impunity

Published by Ellen on November 26, 2018

Lighted candles symbolize the nine long years wait for justice for the victims of the Maguindanao massacre. Photo by Meeko Camba.

At last Friday’s remembrance of the Maguindanao massacre at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani, the feeling was a mixture of frustration and hope.

Frustration because it has been nine long years and the families of the 58 victims- 32 of them members of media – have still to see conviction for the massacre, one the darkest marks in our history of struggle for a democratic society.

Hope because government officials said the decision on the case is expected in early 2019. Given the overwhelming evidence against the identified perpetrators led by former Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr, the families of the victims, lawyers, supporters and government officials are expecting a conviction.

Prayers amid dismay for justice for victims of Ampatuan massacre

Published by Ellen on November 23, 2014

Five years ago, a crime so heinous was perpetrated by persons in authority, in a remote village in Maguindanao in Southwestern Mindanao.

Fifty-eight persons lay dead after Andal Ampatuan, Jr., mayor of Datu Unsay town and his men were through with their shooting spree. He then asked for a backhoe in the office of his father, Andal Ampatuan Sr., who was then governor of the province, to be brought to the crime scene to bury the dead bodies.

Among the dead was Genalyn Mangudadatu, wife of the political rival of the Ampatuans, Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu, who was supposed to file the certificate of candidacy of her husband challenging the position of the Ampatuan patriarch.

Of the 58 victims, 32 were members of media, who were supposed to cover the political event.

11 facts that render allegations of bribery vs Harry Roque ridiculous

Published by Ellen on August 10, 2014

Harry Roque with relatives of the victims. Photo by Lito Ocampo, CMFR.

The murderous Ampatuans must be enjoying the spectacle of the prosecutors in the Maguindanao massacre destroying each other.

Atty. Nena Santos, representing 25 of the of the 58 who were killed in a massacre in a secluded hill in Maguindanao on Nov. 23, 2009, has alleged that government and fellow private prosecutor Harry Roque, of having been bribed by the Ampatuans to lose the case.

Santos represents Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu, husband of victim Genalyn Mangudadatu and political rival of the Ampatuan family.

It will be recalled that Genalyn, accompanied by family members, political associates and members of media were abducted while on their way to file the candidacy of Mangudadatu for governor against Andal Ampatuan Jr, son of the then incumbent, Andal Ampatuan Sr. They were brought to a secluded hill and killed by Andal Jr and his henchmen. Of the 58 killed, 34 were media workers, earning for the Philippines the reputation of one of the most dangerous places for journalists.

Thoughts of a lawyer’s wife on the latest Ampatuan massacre controversy

Published by Ellen on August 8, 2014

By Mylah Reyes Roque

Today, I write about the man I am married to but who I barely talk about or refer to in the social media – not that I actively engage in it in the first place. My friends know of course that my husband is the lawyer and law professor Harry Roque, who is also a private prosecutor in the Ampatuan trial. I don’t mention this in Facebook but I don’t hide it either. He is “public”; I on the other hand am happy to keep and remain with my small circle of friends. He maintains a blog, is active on Twitter and has two Facebook accounts, one active and one “unable to accept any more friends.” My Facebook, on the other hand, has just slightly over 500 friends and I use twitter only to check on #mmda and #walangpasok.

So for the first time I break my quiet as regards Harry.

Harry, or a person identified with a cell phone number corresponding to his, is being accused of accepting P10 million and a car from the Ampatuans to sell out his clients in the Ampatuan trial. The accusation comes from an alleged informant of another private prosecutor. The information is based on handwritten entries in somebody’s notebook. This prosecutor refuses to fully identify the informant but she made a public announcement anyway. The alleged informant also accuses some of Harry’s clients of accepting payment from the Ampatuans. These stories about payoffs to the victims are an old hat. Yesterday, the demolition job was on the fiscals and justice undersecretary. Today Harry is the one accused of being on the take. One can keep trying to throw mud but it won’t always stick.

What happened to the truckloads of money from Ampatuans’ houses in 2009?

Published by Ellen on June 27, 2013

One of Ampatuans' mansions. Thanks Froilan Gallardo of Mindanews for the photo. — One of Ampatuans’ mansions. Thanks Froilan Gallardo of Mindanews for the photo.

The aborted P50 million each settlement with the relatives of 14 (of the 58) victims of the November 2009 Maguindanao massacre with a certain Jun Chan raised the question,“”Where was that huge sum of money supposed to come from?”

There is no chance to ask Chan the identity of his principal because Mylah Reyes-Roque, in an article for VERA Files, said the settlement was signed third week of February and Chan was killed when his vehicle was ambushed on his way to his farm in General Santos City last March 25.

Although the relatives of the victims met only with Chan accompanied by someone introduced only to them as “Prof”, they were sure that the principal of the two were the former Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr and members of his family who are the primary suspects in the massacre because the deal involved their signing an affidavit of desistance.

Mindboggling, troubling offers for Maguindanao massacre victims

Published by Ellen on June 25, 2013

There are a number of disturbing things in the aborted settlement between the Ampatuans and the relatives of the 14 victims of the Nov 23, 2009 massacre that was considered the deadliest day for journalists (32 of the 58 victims were members of media.

It was aborted because the negotiator, identified in the article of Mylah Reyes-Roque for VERA Files a Jun Chan was killed in an ambush in General Santos city last March 25. The death of Chan underscores the chilling reality that four years after massacre, the killing has not stopped.

Ampatuan victims open to negotiated settlement due to delay in trial

Published by Ellen on June 24, 2013

By Mylah Reyes-Roque, VERA Files Tired of the slow pace of justice, relatives of 14 of the 58 fatalities in November 2009 Ampatuan massacre had…

Reynaldo Momay, Vice Vulgar

Published by Ellen on May 30, 2013

“It took our family 32 months of waiting before the court has officially recognized my father as the 58th victim of the gruesome killing and 42 months before the arraignment of suspects took place,” wrote Ma Reynafe Momay Castillo in her Facebook page.

It’s a bit strange to feel thankful to get confirmation that your father was one of those murdered but it’s definitely a step forward in the search for justice for the victims of the most gruesome crimes that this country has experienced.

Ma. Reynafe’s father was photojournalist Reynaldo “Bebot” Momay. He was included in the list of victims of the Nov. 23, 2009 Maguindanao massacre only last year (July 2, 2012) because his body was never found.

Maguindanao massacre on our mind

Published by Ellen on November 25, 2012

Cagayan de Oro from Froilan Gallardo — The media community in Cagayan de Oro. Photo from Froilan Gallardo’s FB

The 2009 Maguindanao massacre and the sad fact that justice continues to elude the victims were foremost in the minds of the delegates to the 9th Spectrum Fellowship National Campus Journalism conference held at Mambukal resort in Negros Occidental.

The Spectrum is the official student media corps of the University of St La Salle. There were about 60 participants in the conference coming not only from De La Salle but also from Far Eastern University, University of Sto. Tomas and University of San Agustin in Iloilo City.

They had an interesting range of topics. I came on the second day (Friday) and I caught up with the lectures of Ernie Sarmiento, formerly chief photographer of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, on photojournalism ethics, Philippine Star columnist Cito Beltran on opinion writing, GMA-7 (Iloilo)’s Rexcel Sorza on social media ethics, and RA Rivera on connecting through video.

Three years after, justice remains elusive to Maguindanao massacre victims

Published by Ellen on November 13, 2012

massacre photo with backhoe — A most heinous crime

Talk of perfect timing.

Eleven days before the third anniversary of the Maguindanao massacre that killed 58 people, 32 of them members of media, the Supreme Court granted the petition of the primary accused – former mayor Andal “Unsay” Ampatuan, Jr to ban live broadcast of the trial.

It’s another step backward for transparency,an attribute of a working democracy.

Ampatuan told the high court that its June 2011 decision penned by then Associate Justice, now Ombudsman, Conchita Carpio-Morales live coverage of the trial deprived him of his rights to due process, equal protection, presumption of innocence, and to be shielded from degrading psychological punishment.