The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) welcomes the decision of the Court of Appeals’ Special 11th Division junking the petition of Zaldy Ampatuan to be excluded as an accused in the Nov. 23, 2009 Ampatuan massacre case.
The decision is a positive development in the case that has been marred with continued delays due to maneuverings of the Ampatuan camp and inherent weaknesses of the Philippine judicial system.
We hope that the Court of Appeals and other courts will similarly act against blatant attempts of the accused to escape from prosecution and gain temporary or permanent liberty.
There is no longer any reason to further delay the indictment of Zaldy Ampatuan and all the other principal accused.
As we mark the second year of this gruesome crime, we call on the Filipino people to remain steadfast in seeking justice for all the victims and their families.
We invite all people who believe in justice and democracy to join the various activities commemorating the second anniversary of the massacre. As we march to Mendiola on Nov. 23, let us call on the Aquino administration to make good on its promise to bring the perpetrators of the massacre and all extrajudicial killings to justice.
—NESTOR P. BURGOS JR., chair; ROWENA PARAAN, secretary general, National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, nujphil@gmail.com