Ampatuan massacre victims' kin: 'How are we supposed to feel?'

MANILA, Philippines — Relatives of some of the victims of the Ampatuan massacre on Thursday grieved over the court allowing Zaldy Ampatuan, believed to be one of the masterminds, to attend his daughter's wedding.

In a statement sent through Grace Morales, widow of one of the members of the media killed on November 23, 2009, the families of the victims condemned the grant by a Quezon City court of a three-hour furlough for Ampatuan to attended the wedding of Bay Nor Aila Kristina at a five-star hotel in Pasay City.

According to the court ruling, the wedding is a “momentous family occasion, which must be witnessed by the couple’s loved ones, especially the accused.”

READ: Zaldy Ampatuan leaves detention for daughter’s wedding

Ampatuan, former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao regional governor, is accused of being one of the brains behind the massare in 2009 that left 58—including 32 media workers—dead.

The families said that court “disregarded” the spouses, children, siblings and families who have been grieving for close to nine years.

The killings, the worst case of election-related violence in Philippine history, are referred to as the Maguindanao Massacre as well as the Ampatuan Massacre—for the town in Maguindanao province where it happened.

“It is an insult that is unacceptable for us that we learned that one of those who planned the horrendous crime breathed fresh air of freedom even with a short period of time to be with his family—one thing that will be forever be deprived of us,” the families said in a statement in Filipino.

Kin not informed of furlough request

They also lamented that they were not informed that Ampatuan sought a furlough for his daughter’s wedding. “Had we known, we would not have allowed it and have opposed it.”

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said that state prosecutors did everything they could to oppose the request.

He said that the prosecutors raised risk of flight, security issues, legal restraints upon a person facing prosecution, but the court granted Ampatuan’s motion “for humanitarian reasons.”

"How are we supposed to feel?" the victims' families said.

The justice chief said that the case is expected to be up for decision early next year.