(Updated 12:22 a.m., June 29, 2012) Malacañang urged the Supreme Court to find a way to hasten the Maguindanao massacre trial without sacrificing due process. The case has been dragging on for nearly two-and-a-half years and three witnesses have been slain–their cases also unresolved.
 
Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda made the statement Thursday, considering the Ampatuan trial has been dragging on since January 2010, when Andal Ampatuan Jr. pleaded not guilty to 41 counts of murder before Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court.
 
Also, three witnesses have been slain. Suwaib Upham was shot to death in 2010, Ampatuan driver Esmail Amil Enog’s dismembered body was found a month ago, and Menjie Nangulamas Ubpon was also shot to death in February.
 
“Let’s have a speedy trial in the Ampatuan massacre case because that is a blot in our Philippine judicial system," Lacierda said at a press briefing.
 
Lacierda also insisted that the pace of the proceedings is not in the hands of the executive branch.
 
“That’s why we are asking the Supreme Court, 'Can you find a way to expedite? Can you direct the handling judge to make certain that this case moves at a faster pace rather than the pace where it is right now and to make sure that while the pace can go faster? We can ensure also the safety of the witnesses," he said.
 
The Ampatuans are accused of killing 57 people, including 32 media workers, in the southern province of Maguindanao in November 2009, allegedly to prevent political rival Esmael Mangudadatu from challenging a clan member–Andal Ampatuan Jr.– for the gubernatorial seat in the 2010 elections.
 
The family had ruled Maguindanao for a decade, allegedly armed by the previous administration of then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who used the clan's private army as a buffer against Muslim guerrillas.
 
The massacre victims included Mangudadatu's wife and other relatives, whose bodies were all found shot to death and buried in a shallow pit.
 
Potential witness killed
 
Private prosecutor Nena Santos said Thursday that a potential prosecution witness who was shot to death in February, 36-year-old Ubpon of Poblacion Mother in Shariff Aguak, could also be Alijol Ampatuan.
 
Alijol is a distant relative of clan patriarch Andal Sr., one of 64 people standing trial in Manila over the massacre, and had worked as a security guard for the Ampatuans.
 
Santos said that the prosecution believes Ubpon is the same person as Alijol, though the prosecution team also admitted to having a hard time "establishing that Ubpon and Alijol are one and the same."
 
Meanwhile, Maguindanao police chief Senior Superintendent Marcelo Pintac told Agence France Presse that the true identity of the murdered victim took months to emerge because local police had initially identified Alijol Ampatuan's corpse as that of Ubpon.
 
Security offer rejected
 
Lacierda said the government had offered security to Alijol and other witnesses and relatives of the massacre victims but he rejected it.
 
“Dito po sa witness na ito, he politely turned down our offer of security. This is according to (Interior) Secretary (Jesse) Robredo. So it is unfortunate that this happened," said Lacierda.
 
He said the offer was made when President Benigno Aquino III met with the lawyers and relatives of the massacre victims.
 
“One of the points that we agreed on during that particular meeting was they asked for security from the police and immediately the President committed. And in fact, during that particular meeting, he called up the chief of police of Maguindanao and also the head of the Army unit there in Mindanao. We have asked them to coordinate with the chief of police and made arrangements," said Lacierda.
 
“We would like to reiterate that offer to the witnesses knowing that there is an attempt on your life. Please we would ask you again to accept the offer of security," he said.
 
Asked if there was shortcoming on the part of the government, Lacierda said they cannot be blamed for the incident as it was the witness who refused security.
 
“Kung ikaw ayaw mo tumanggap ng security at paikot ikot ka, hindi namin mamo-monitor ang iyong movement," he added. —DMV/VS/HS, GMA News