Andal Sr. arraigned today

MANILA, Philippines - Maguindanao massacre suspect and clan patriarch Andal Ampatuan Sr. is scheduled to be arraigned in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City this morning.

Prosecution lawyer Harry Roque welcomed Andal Sr.’s arraignment but said all the Ampatuans suspected of being involved in the Nov. 23, 2009 bloodbath must be arraigned as soon as possible.

Six prominent members of the Ampatuan family have been charged but only Andal Ampatuan Jr. – who allegedly led hundreds of armed men in abducting and killing 57 persons – is undergoing trial.

Roque told The STAR he does not understand why Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes has not had all the detained Ampatuans arraigned when the trial has been going on for two years.

“Why do we have to wait for (the defense’s motion for) voluntary arraignment when we have filed a motion to have them arraigned, for a very long time already?” Roque said. 

“It’s keeping us from presenting eyewitnesses because we don’t want them to go to court over and over because it is jeopardizing their security,” he added.