SC asked to allow live coverage of Ampatuan verdict

MANILA, Philippines — Media organizations have asked the Supreme Court (SC) to allow the live streaming and coverage of the Dec. 19 promulgation of judgment of the Maguindanao massacre case to be held at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.

In a three-page letter to Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta on Tuesday, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) and Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) said the families of the victimsand the public waited 10 years for the promulgation of the case.

“Due to its undeniable public importance, the NUJP, CMFR and PCIJ request the SC to allow journalists to conduct live coverage of the promulgation,” they said.

 “We also ask the honorable court to designate a specific area in the courtroom as a media gallery for the reporters and cameramen to stay during the promulgation,” they added.

Fifty-eight people, including 32 media workers, were killed in the massacre allegedly masterminded by the Ampatuans on Nov. 23, 2009.

Former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao governor Zaldy Ampatuan, one of the primary suspects, has been confined at the Makati Medical Center since suffering a stroke on Oct. 22.

The media groups explained that the live coverage would allow the families of the victims, who might not be able to travel to Manila, to immediately hear the verdict to be handed down by Quezon City Judge Jocelyn Solis Reyes.

Most family members of the victims are from General Santos City, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Maguindanao. 

By watching the promulgation unfold live, “It would boost the public’s trust on transparency and accountability of the court processes,” the groups said.