Maguindanao massacre verdict: What you need to know

Mike Navallo, ABS-CBN News

Posted at Dec 18 2019 04:06 PM | Updated as of Dec 18 2019 08:44 PM

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MANILA – After ten years, the trial on the Maguindanao massacre case comes to a close Thursday as the
court hearing the case renders its verdict.

Facing verdict are 101 out of a total 197 accused charged with 58 counts of murder, 1 for every person
killed in the November 23, 2009 massacre.

The accused are charged for an attack of a convoy of mostly women on their way to Shariff Aguak in
Maguindanao to file the certificate of candidacy (COC) of then-gubernatorial candidate and now-House
Rep. Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu.

Among those killed were Mangudadatu’s own wife and 2 sisters, and 12 other relatives and supporters, 2
lawyers and a father of one of the lawyers, 2 drivers, 6 passersby and 32 journalists.

Based on court records, ABS-CBN News provides a summary of the case and what to expect during the
promulgation of judgment.

THE ACCUSED

File photo
The powerful Ampatuan clan is accused of masterminding the killings.

Datu Andal “Unsay” Ampatuan Jr., son of the late patriarch Andal Ampatuan, Sr., is said to have led more
than a hundred armed men, which blocked the victims’ convoy, shot some of the victims and ordered
that their bodies be buried using a backhoe at a shallow grave in Ampatuan town.

His defense: he was attending meetings from 8:35 am to 12:30 p.m., at the Datu Unsay town municipal
hall, where he was mayor, when the killings took place.

Former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao governor Datu Zaldy “Puti” Ampatuan, also a son of
Andal Sr., supposedly took part and expressed full support in the plan to kill Mangudadatu. He was
allegedly in charge if Mangudadatu filed his COC in Manila.

His defense: he was in Malacañang for a meeting with then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo when the
incident happened.

Datu Sajid Islam Ampatuan, another brother and currently mayor of Shariff Saydona Mustapha,
Maguindanao, was allegedly involved in the planning as he attended the meetings. He, however, said he
went into reclusion and avoided his family soon after he was removed as OIC governor of Maguindanao
a month before the killings.

At the time of the massacre, he said he assisted his wife who was filing her own COC at Shariff Saydona
town, 15 minutes away from the crime scene.

Sajid was granted bail in 2015, with the court citing testimonies that he did not utter a single word
during the supposed meetings.

Datu Anwar Ampatuan Sr., yet another sibling, then mayor of Shariff Aguak, was allegedly involved in the
planning and helped his brother Datu Unsay escape after the killings.
His defense: he was in the town of Shariff Aguak presiding over a meeting with government officials. His
sons, Datu Anwar Sajid Ampatuan alias Datu Ulo and Datu Anwar Ampatuan Jr. alias Datu Ipi, are also
among those charged.

Datu Akmad “Tato” Ampatuan, Sr., nephew and son-in-law of Andal Sr., and another Ampatuan – Jimmy
Ampatuan– are also accused of conspiring with the other accused.

Fifty-four police officers led by Police Maj. Sukarno Dicay, then chief of the Philippine National Police
15th Regional Mobile Group, will also be sentenced on Thursday, along with 39 other civilians.

Of the 101 accused due for sentencing, 90 are detained while Sajid and 10 policemen are out on bail.

Eighty other suspects, including 15 bearing the surname Ampatuan, are still at large and won’t be among
those sentenced Thursday.

Meanwhile, the criminal liability of the 8 accused who died during the course of the trial, including Datu
Andal Ampatuan, Sr., were deemed to have been extinguished upon their deaths.

The murder cases, meanwhile, for 8 others were either dismissed due to insufficient evidence or they
were discharged as state witnesses (Esmael Canapia and P Lt. Rex Ariel T. Diongon), including Sukarno
Badal, a former Sultan sa Barongis vice mayor who testified on the Ampatuans’ involvement from the
planning to the execution of the killings and the subsequent cover-up.

PROMULGATION

One of the Maguindanao massacre principal suspects, Andal Ampatuan Jr. (left), enters the courtroom at
Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig, in suburban Manila on July 28, 2010. Noel Celis, AFP/File

On the day of the promulgation of judgment, all the accused are expected to appear in court with their
respective lawyers, as part of their rights under the law.
Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes has limited the number of lawyers
attending to one per client for both the prosecution and the defense due to space limitations in the
courtroom in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City, where some of the accused have been held.

All the parties will be called by the judge and if there are no motions, the judge will proceed to order the
reading of the verdict, which may either be read in full or only the part pronouncing the court’s finding
of guilty or not guilty (the dispositive portion).

Charged with 58 counts of murder, the accused could face reclusion perpetua or 40 years in prison for
each count, although the Revised Penal Code limits service of prison sentence to a maximum of 40 years.

In order to prove murder, the prosecution needs to show that the killings were attended by any of the
following elements they alleged in the information: evident premeditation, taking advantage of superior
strength, treachery, cruelty, in an uninhabited place, by a band, or armed with firearms.

Otherwise, the crime may fall under homicide punishable by reclusion temporal or up to 20 years in
prison.

If found "guilty," the accused may ask the court for reconsideration of the ruling and subsequently file an
appeal to the Court of Appeals, if the motion is denied.

Under the rules, the accused loses their chance to appeal the ruling if their absence during the
promulgation of judgment are not justified.

However, a "not guilty" finding will bar any appeal on the criminal aspect as it would amount to double
jeopardy, a constitutional right preventing an accused from being tried again for the same or similar
charge following an acquittal or conviction.

Whatever the outcome, the proceedings on Thursday will bring a semblance of closure to a long drawn-
out legal battle to prosecute those responsible for the gruesome Maguindanao massacre a decade ago.
But a finding of guilt may still be appealed and the battle will continue in the higher courts.

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Read More: Maguindanao massacre verdict Maguindanao massacre verdict Ampatuan Quezon City
Regional Trial Court Branch 221 Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes Andal Ampatuan Datu Unsay Esmael
Mangudadatu

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Home > Entertainment

House resolution filed praising 'Quezon's Game'

ABS-CBN News

Posted at Dec 19 2019 05:02 AM

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David Bianco and Raymond Bagatsing portray Dwight Eisenhower and Manuel L. Quezon, respectively, in
‘Quezon’s Game.’ Star Cinema/Kinetek

MANILA—A resolution commending the historical drama "Quezon's Game" for bagging awards in several
international film festivals was filed at the House of Representatives on Wednesday.

"The House of Representatives commends the producers, writers, directors and artists and everyone
behind the creation and development of the movie 'Quezon's Game' for its valuable contribution to
enrich and enliven our Philippine history through film," wrote Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido
Abante, who authored House Resolution 628.

"[The film] serves as a reminder and eye-opener to the pivotal role that the Philippines played in the
rescue of Jewish refugees during the Holocaust," he added.

Review: ‘Quezon’s Game’ finds its way to the heart of the truth through make-believe

"Quezon's Game," a collaboration between Star Cinema and streaming service iWant, narrates former
Philippine president Manuel L. Quezon’s open-door policy to welcome displaced Jews from Nazi
Germany.

Watch more in iWant or TFC.tv

"It is a film that truly promoted and popularized our nation's historical and cultural heritage," Abante
said.

The film, which stars Raymond Bagatsing and Rachel Alejandro, reaped awards in the Cinema World Fest
Awards in Ottawa, Canada; IndieFEST Film Awards in California, United States; and WorldFest Houston
International Fiml and Video Festival in Texas, United States, among others.
Star Cinema and iWant’s ‘Quezon’s Game’ wins big at Canadian filmfest

'Quezon's Game' bags 4 awards at WorldFest-Houston Film Festival

It was also screened in Maryland International Film Festival in the United States, Ramsgate International
Film and TV Festival in the United Kingdom and in Tel Aviv, Israel. - with a report from RG Cruz, ABS-CBN
News

'Quezon’s Game' reaps praise at Tel Aviv film festival

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