(Eagle News) — The promulgation of the Maguindanao massacre case is expected today, Dec. 19, more than ten years since the crime dubbed as the country’s worst poll-related violence, took place in 2009.
The promulgation is set at 9 a.m. in Camp Bagong Diwa, where security is so far tight.
Only 76 media men and crew were given accreditation to enter the Metro Manila District Jail Annex 2 in Camp Bagong Diwa, and were allowed to work in a media working area inside the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, also in the camp.
There is a separate group of of media and crew allowed in the camp’s premises but not inside the media room.
Presiding Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of Branch 221 of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court will hand down the verdict to the 101 accused, 15 of whom belong to the Ampatuan clan, rivals of the Mangudadatu family, some of whose members were among the 58 people killed on Nov. 23, 2009.
At the time the crime was committed, Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu, then the vice mayor of Buluan, was slated to run against Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan, Jr. for the Maguindanao governor post in the 2010 elections.
Unsay is the son of Andal Ampatuan Sr., then the governor. He is among the 15 from the Ampatuan clan who stand accused of the killing.
The other accused include Sajid Ampatuan and Zaldy Ampatuan, who returned to Camp Bagong Diwa only on Wednesday, Dec. 18, after he was confined in the Makati Medical Center for around 40 days after suffering a stroke.
It was Solis-Reyes who had ordered Zaldy Ampatuan to be returned to his detention cell in Camp Bagong Diwa days before the verdict, saying he could be treated as an out-patient instead.
The case landed in Solis-Reyes’ sala on Dec. 17, 2009 after it was re-raffled following the inhibition of Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 84 judge Luisito Cortez, who had cited fear for his life.
Solis-Reyes was supposed to have handed down her verdict ahead of the 10th anniversary of the Maguindanao massacre on Nov. 23, but she had asked the Supreme Court for a 30-day extension, citing the voluminous records of the case.
After the case was submitted for resolution in August, she said case records reached 238 volumes.
Of the 238, 165 were volumes of records on the trial, 65 were records of stenographic notes and 8 were records containing the prosecution’s documentary evidence.
The court has also heard the testimonies of 357 witnesses.
The SC granted Solis-Reyes’ request.