CA junks appeal of massacre accused

MANILA, Philippines - The Court of Appeals (CA) has junked the motion of Anwar Ampatuan seeking a reversal of an earlier ruling on his pleading questioning his indictment in the Maguindanao massacre murder case.

The CA’s former 16th Division ruled that Ampatuan’s motion for reconsideration last Aug. 31 had “no new and substantial matters”’ to warrant a reversal of the court’s earlier junking the petition for certiorari.

“The arguments advanced by petitioner in support of his motion have been considered and passed upon by this court. To require us to discuss again... our decision would be to belabor the issues ad infinitum,” the CA said.

During yesterday’s hearing, government prosecutors led by Assistant Regional State Prosecutor Peter Medalle manifested before Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of the Regional Trial Court Branch 221 their receipt of the CA’s ruling.

Ampatuan’s defense lawyer Paris Real, however, was quick to say that they would question the ruling before the Supreme Court.

“We reserve the right to elevate it to the high tribunal,” Real declared.

Real told reporters that he was preparing to file a petition for review before the SC.

Ampatuan had questioned before the CA his indictment for murder, claiming he was not at the crime scene when the killings happened on Nov. 23, 2009.

“He (Ampatuan ) was attending to the activities of the municipal government of Shariff Aguak as then mayor,” Real pointed out.

Meanwhile, the prosecution has asked the court to arraign former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao governor Zaldy Ampatuan, following an SC decision affirming his indictment in the murder case.