Prosecution rests case on Ampatuan bail

MANILA, Philippines - The prosecution in the nearly three-year-old Maguindanao massacre case yesterday finally rested its case in connection with the bail petition of principal accused Andal Ampatuan Jr.

The prosecutors submitted before Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes a thick stack of documents which laid down the number of witnesses and documentary evidence to oppose Ampatuan’s plea for temporary liberty.

But unlike ordinary bail proceedings, the lawyers of Andal Jr. will present rebuttal evidence before the judge instead of waiting for the latter to rule on the petition.

“What if their witnesses are lying?” said lawyer Sigfrid Fortun in an earlier interview with The STAR.

However, he declined to identify the defense’s first witness.

Also yesterday, the scheduled arraignment of Andal Jr.’s nephew Sajid Anwar Ampatuan was postponed after he asked the court for a judicial determination of probable cause.

Ampatuan was arrested in Las Piñas City last week.