MANILA -- The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFoMS) is pushing to resolve the Maguindanao massacre case during the term of President Rodrigo Duterte.
With its forthcoming 8th anniversary on Nov. 23, the case was given priority in the agenda of the PTFoMS' meeting last Nov. 17.
Department of Justice (DOJ) Assistant Secretary Juvy R. Manwong, who presided the meeting, estimated that the case might be resolved in four years based on the movement of the trial.
"At the rate the trial is moving, the case may be resolved in four years, or well within the term of President Rodrigo Duterte, based on the assumption that the defense will present an equal number of witnesses as that of the prosecution," the task force said in a statement.
"Since the trial has been going on for the last eight years, the task force urgently pushes for the following: 1) end of impunity; 2) speedier trial; 3) partial judgment; and, 4) intensified manhunt for the suspects still at large," the statement added.
As of the latest data, 58 counts of murder were filed against 188 accused, with 106 behind bars, three dead, two on bail and one released through a writ of habeas corpus.
On Nov. 23, 2009, 58 people were killed in the worst election-related violence in the country dubbed as “Maguindanao massacre” that was allegedly masterminded by the Ampatuan clan to thwart the candidacy of Esmael Mangudadatu in the 2010 elections. At the time, Mangudadatu was seeking the gubernatorial against Andal Ampatuan Jr.
The incident left 32 media workers and 26 others dead.
PTFoMS, an inter-agency body tasked to protect Philippine media workers, was created based on Administrative Order No. 1 signed by President Duterte on October 11, 2016.
It is chaired by DOJ Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre, with PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar as vice-chairman, and Undersecretary Joel Sy Egco as executive director.
Aside from Manwong, other members of the task force are: Presidential Communications Operations Office policy advisor Kahlil Macan; Presidential Human Rights Commission PSO V Tito Fajardo; Commission on Human Rights' Joan Cordero; Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility's Melanie Pinlac; Publishers Association of the Philippines president Nelson Santos; National Press Club president Paul Gutierrez; Department of National Defense Public Affairs Office chief Arsenio Andolong; Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Alejandro Papa; Darren Salipsip of the Office of the Chief Presidential Legal Counsel; National Bureau of Investigation special agent Carlo Limyu; and Philippine National Police public information office’s Chief Insp. Bryan Gregorio. (PNA)
