DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Sixteen years after the Ampatuan massacre that murdered 32 journalists and six years since the courts convicted the clan of this crime, families of the victims are still asking for closure.
On Monday, November 24, the Center for International Law (CenterLaw) filed on behalf of 19 families and urgent motion pressing the Court of Appeals to resolve “without further delay” the pending appeals filed by the Amptuan clan.
The trial that lasted ten years at the Quezon City Court found 43 members of the Ampatuan family and their private army guilty of murdering 58 people, including 32 media workers, on November 23, 2009 in Sitio Masalay, Ampatuan, Maguindanao.
The Ampatuan Massacre is considered as the worst cases of journalist killings in the world and of political warlordism and impunity in the country. The incident saw Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr led his militia, stopped and kidnapped a convoy that was filing the candidacy of their rival Esmael ‘Toto’ Mangudadatu. Fifty-eight people were killed and hastily buried, including members of the Mangudadatu clan, two lawyers and 32 journalists.
Despite the conviction of Ampatuan Jr. and brother Zaldy as the masterminds, the cases are still pending at appellate courts. CenterLaw urged the judiciary to act on the cases as the long wait of the families for closure has deepened their suffering.
“The victims’ families are still suffering from extreme trauma, depression and inescapable grief especially during Novmber 23 of each year,” a statement from CenterLaw stated.
Anguish
The CenterLaw statement quoted the individual anguish of the widows.
“Ramonita Salaysay, widow of Napoleon Salasay, asks with anguish: ‘Bakit sa dinami-daming pinatay, sapat naman ang ebidensiya, bakit nakaabot ng 16 years na wala kaming hustisya?” (With so many murdered, the evidence is clear, why has justice evaded us for 16 years?)
“Maria Cipriana Gatchalian, widow of Santos ‘Jun’ Gatchalian, hopes that, ‘Sa edad ko ngayon, 73 years old at may kapansanan na, bago ako mawala sa mundo… kampante kami na mabigyan ng hustisya ang kaso namin.” (At my age of 73, and suffering from an ailment, before I leave this world… I hope we our case will be given justice.)
“Erylyn Umpad shares this question from her child who was just days old when his dad, McDelbert Arriola, was murdered. ‘Mama birthday ko na. Tapos na ba yung kaso ni papa?’ (Is father’s case resolved?)
CenterLaw said the families’ words show the “harm of judicial delay” and also affects the public’s confidence in the judiciary system.
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), which have supported the families throughout the trial, also point out how the appeals have caused families to languish in their call for justice.
“Justice delayed is justice denied,” NUJP said. “This commemoration is not only a remembrance but a renewed call to ensure journalists can work safely, independently, and with dignity.”
Both NUJP and CenterLaw are also appealing to the courts to include journalist Reynaldo ‘Bebot’ Momay in the list as the 58th victim. The court did not include Momay as his body was never recovered.
“That the Philippines (court) has not judicially recognized the 58th victim is a profound failure that demands urgent correction,” CenterLaw said.
Impunity continues
NUJP warned that many of the structural problems that enabled the massacre persist: political dynasties remain entrenched, local power blocs continue to operate with impunity, and media workers — especially in the regions — remain vulnerable due to low wages, contractualization, and inadequate safety protection.
“This commemoration is also a reminder for all of us to keep working for media safety, editorial independence, and a living wage for media workers, especially for colleagues in the regions who remain the worst paid and least protected in the media community,” the NUJP statement said.
The Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in Mindanao (UPLM), who lost two of its colleagues in the massacre — Attorneys Concepcion Brizuela and Cynthia Oqueno-Ayon who were lawyering for Mangudadatu, said the same conditions that allowed the Ampatuans to operate — political dynasties and the normalization of impunity — remain visible in the country today, as seen in continuing attacks on activists, journalists, and lawyers.(davaotoday.com)
