Catanduanes judge to assist in massacre trial

MANILA, Philippines - Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno has designated a Catanduanes judge to assist the special court handling the four-year Maguindanao massacre trial.

In an administrative order released to the media yesterday, Sereno designated Virac Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 42 Judge Genie Gapas-Agbada to conduct all non-trial incidents such as arraignments and pre-trials in the cases filed in connection with the Maguindanao massacre.

Gapas-Agbada is also designated to “decide incidents and motions that are not intrinsic to the merits of the cases” as determined by Quezon City RTC Branch 221 Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes.

Fifty-eight counts of murder were filed against the initial 197 suspects tagged in the Nov. 23, 2009 incident.

The prosecution panel has already offered evidence in opposition to the bail petition of some 60 accused, including that of primary suspects former Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. and his sons Andal Jr. and Zaldy.

The SC earlier designated the QC RTC Branch 221 as a special court following the filing of the case. No new cases were raffled to the court after the filing of the Maguindanao massacre case.

Fourth duty

Sereno said the designation of Gapas-Agbada as an assisting judge in the Maguindanao massacre trial will be in addition to her other duties – presiding judge of Virac RTC Branch 42, acting judge of QC RTC Branch 100, and assisting judge for criminal cases in QC RTC Branch 221.

Gapas-Agbada was identified in the administrative order as the third assisting judge for QC RTC Branch 221. Technically, however, she is only the second assisting judge as she was one of the two judges earlier assigned by the high court to assist Solis-Reyes.

Prior her designation to handle non-trial incidents of the Maguindanao massacre, Gapas-Agbada already handles the criminal cases raffled to QC RTC Branch 221 before the filing of the Maguindanao massacre case.

The other judge, who handles the civil cases, is QC RTC Branch 99 Judge Ma. Rita Bascos Sarabia.

A staff at the QC RTC Branch 221 said that a pairing judge is handling cases of Gapas-Agbada in Catanduanes following her designation as assisting judge in Quezon City.

In separate interviews with The STAR, defense lawyer Sigfrid Fortun and private prosecutor Harry Roque welcomed the issuance of the resolution.

Solis-Reyes earlier said she is hoping to hand down the verdict by 2016.