Prominent lawyers warned that litigation in connection with the 2009 Maguindanao massacre could take 200 years. At the rate the case has crawled along, and with recent developments, the warning could prove to be no exaggeration.
The defense teams of 25 of the accused including members of the Ampatuan clan have simultaneously withdrawn from the case – a move that can further delay the trial, especially if the defendants are in no hurry to replace their legal counsels.
The prosecution is not without its controversies. Prosecutors of the Department of Justice have been accused of receiving P50 million from the Ampatuan clan to drop the case. The accusations, denied by the DOJ panel led by Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan III, were hurled by a witness and a private prosecutor representing Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu, whose wife and other relatives were the principal targets in the massacre.
Since news of the massacre broke and the magnitude of the atrocity became clear, suspicion had focused only on the Ampatuan clan, with Andal Jr. as the direct perpetrator. People thought that with the finger of blame pointing to only a particular set of individuals, prosecution of the principal players would move faster than the usual snail’s pace of Philippine justice.
Unfortunately for the victims, this has not been the case. The case is approaching its fifth year with no resolution in sight. With appeals, it could take two decades before a final verdict is reached against the principal defendants. Witnesses have been murdered and dozens of other suspects remain at large, with the capability to permanently silence more witnesses.
One positive aspect is that the principal defendants remain in detention. The Ampatuans used to wield near-absolute power in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Their arrest and prosecution for the worst case of election violence in this country should serve as a deterrent to similar attacks. Until a verdict is reached and punishment imposed, however, the lessons of the massacre will not be fully imparted. Until justice is done, there is a strong possibility that other politicians will commit similar atrocities, believing they can get away with mass murder.