Sereno: SC doing everything to speed up trial on Maguindanao massacre case

On the 5th anniversary of the worst election-related violence in Philippine history that left 58 people dead, Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno assures the public that the high court is doing everything to fast-track the proceedings of the Maguindanao Massacre case, according to a "Balintanghali" report on Sunday.



Sereno admits that the Supreme Court needs more time to resolve the case because of the large number of victims and suspects.

Fifty-eight people, 32 of them journalists, were killed in the carnage in Ampatuan town in Maguindanao on Nov. 23, 2009. Some 200 suspects have been identified and over 100 of them are being detained at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.

Not one has been convicted so far.

In her speech at Journalism Asia Forum of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, Sereno said she personally wants to see the case resolved, especially that five years have passed after the incident.

Due to the need to fast-track the resolution of the case, the Supreme Court released a set of guidelines to speed up the trial, including the appointment of a third assisting judge that will help Quezon City Regional Trial Court Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes resolve some of the motions concerning the case.

Meanwhile, Atty. Prima Quinsayas – legal counsel for the families of some of the journalists killed during the massacre – said some of the victims' families are already quite disheartened because of the slow trial proceedings, while most of them still wants to continue the fight for justice. — Bianca Rose Dabu /LBG, GMA News