GMA listed as witness in Ampatuan civil case

MANILA, Philippines - Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo may still find herself taking the witness stand in the Maguindanao massacre trial even after the defense panel had dropped her as one of its witnesses. 

One of the prosecution lawyers yesterday listed the former president as a hostile witness in the civil aspect of the case. Arroyo’s testimony will be used as a basis to award exemplary damages.

“This is to prove that the murder would not have happened had she not given the Ampatuans too much power. The Ampatuans were confident to do this because of their very close relationship,” lawyer Harry Roque said in a phone interview. “The main purpose of this action is to prevent other people from repeating the same mistake.”

The manifestation was done during the case’s last preliminary conference and pre-trial hearing at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.

No one objected to Roque’s manifestation, which means that Arroyo will now be included in the prosecution’s long list of witnesses.

He said they will ask the court to issue a bench warrant against Arroyo should she refuse to testify, since she no longer enjoys presidential immunity. 

Earlier, the defense panel also included Arroyo as one of their high-profile witnesses in the case against Andal Ampatuan Jr. but later dropped her.

Meanwhile, the court has finally set the murder case’s trial proper on Sept. 1, ten months after the case was filed against the suspects.

“We are very happy that it’s finally going to push through before the year ends. This is a good start since the last trial we had was way back in February,” state prosecutor Richard Fadullon said.

Private prosecutor Nena Santos said this development will prevent their witnesses from losing interest in the case.

She said speeding up the hearings will protect the witnesses from threats and harassment.

At least two policemen implicated in the massacre, Senior Inspector Ariel Diongon and Inspector Michael Joy Macaraeg, also expressed elation with the recent development.

Diongon and Macaraeg were among the police being eyed to become state witnesses against the Ampatuans.

“We are ready to tell all,” Diongon said.