Judge disallows presentation of massacre witnesses

MANILA, Philippines - A judge handling the 2009 Maguindanao massacre trial has disallowed the presentation of two suspects as witnesses against the other accused.

In a three-page order, Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 barred the prosecution from presenting Inspector Rex Ariel Diongon and Police Officer 1 Rainier Ebus as witnesses due to a pending petition filed before the Court of Appeals (CA).

She said allowing Diongon and Ebus to be presented as witnesses would reverse her 2011 order denying the bid to discharge them from the list of the accused.

The prosecution sought the reversal of the order through a petition for certiorari, but the CA has yet to decide on the matter.