Maguindanao massacre prosecutors urged to settle issues

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang yesterday urged government and private prosecutors in the Maguindanao massacre trial to settle their row over issues surrounding the case.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said state and private prosecutors have the same goal of giving justice to the victims and their families.

“We leave it to the wisdom of the government prosecutors because even while I was still practicing, even if your client is the offended party...you are still under the control and supervision of the government prosecutors. So you would really defer to the judgment of the government prosecutors,” Valte said over radio dzRB.

“If they have any misunderstanding or if they have a personal row, I hope they can talk about it,” she added.

Valte maintained that President Aquino is committed to ensure justice for the victims.

Earlier, Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan described the statements of private prosecutors Nena Santos and Prima Jesusa Quinsayas as “juvenile, childish, outlandish, irresponsible and malicious.”

Santos and Quinsayas claimed there was conspiracy behind the decision of the public prosecutors to rest the case against some of the accused.

Baraan, however, said the move was meant to expedite the resolution of the case.

“As far as we are concerned, it is a very sound strategy,” he said.

Santos and Quinsayas said there are still other evidence and testimonies that need to be presented in connection with the five-year-old case.

Despite opposition from the private prosecutors, Baraan said they would still push through with their strategy.

The prosecution earlier rested the case against Andal Ampatuan Jr. and 27 others, prompting Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 to admit the evidence presented by the prosecution.

Santos and Quinsayas criticized the public prosecutors for not consulting them about the decision of the prosecution to rest its case.

But Baraan said consulting private prosecutors on legal strategies is “a matter of courtesy” and that public prosecutors have the final say on these matters. – With Janvic Mateo