Lawyer questions basis for arrest of Ampatuans

MANILA, Philippines - Defense lawyer Sigfrid Fortun questioned yesterday the basis for the arrest of members of the Ampatuan clan in connection with the Maguindanao massacre.

In his cross-examination of the former martial law administrator in Maguindanao, Fortun said Andal Ampatuan Sr., Zaldy Ampatuan and other family members Akmad, Anwar and Sajid were arrested for their supposed involvement in the killings.

Fortun called the attention of retired lieutenant general Raymundo Ferrer to a supposed intelligence report and asked him if there was an indication there of the suspects’ supposed complicity in the crime. He said he could not see their names.

Ferrer said there were other intelligence reports about this but that he was not currently in possession of such reports. He had earlier testified on the arrests made and evidence recovered when martial law was declared in the province following the killings on Nov. 23, 2009.

“Are you aware that your own chronology of events of the state of emergency and martial law emphatically declares that the arrest of Andal Ampatuan Sr. was solely for the crime of rebellion?” Fortun told Ferrer.

The defense lawyer even noted that the rebellion case filed against the Ampatuans and their alleged supporters had been subsequently dismissed by another court.

Meanwhile, Zaldy’s arraignment today was deferred after Fortun filed a motion, saying that pushing through with the arraignment would deprive his client chance to elevate to the Supreme Court his case questioning his indictment.