With SC approval of live coverage, Mangudadatu sees guilty verdict

Maguindanao Representative Esmael "Toto" Mangudadatu, who lost his wife and two sisters to the infamous 2009 Maguindanao massacre, is confident that the court will hand down a guilty verdict on the perpetrators on December 19.

Interviewed on ANC on Wednesday, Mangudadatu said he is taking the Supreme Court's decision to allow live media coverage of the case’s promulgation hearing as a hint that the accused will be judged guilty.

“When it was forwarded to me the decision of SC yesterday, in my mind talagang may solid verdict na guilty sila sa major suspects ng Maguindanao massacre,” he said.

“Because of the SC decision that they allow the live coverage of the promulgation, sigurado kaming may guilty verdict yan sa mga suspek.”

Mangudadatu clarified that he is not saying that the high court was trying to foretell the verdict with its approval of the live coverage. “But in our side, nandoon sa amin ‘yan kasi malinaw naman, yung mga witnesses at evidence naman very vital and solid,” he said.

Several news outfits, journalists’ organizations and government communications agencies made request to the Supreme Court to allow live media coverage of the hearing at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.

The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism said a live coverage would benefit the victims’ relatives who could not afford to fly to Manila.

The promulgation of judgment on the multiple murder case against more than a hundred defendants will be the culmination of a 10-year case at the trial court level.

Several members of the Ampatuan family — the rival political clan of the Mangudadatus — and alleged members of their private army were charged for conspiring to kill 58 people, 32 of whom were journalists, on a hill in Ampatuan town, Maguindanao on November 23, 2009.

In case of a guilty verdict, Mangudadatu said he is anticipating that the accused will run to the Court of Appeals and to the SC.

“May Court of Appeals pa, may Supreme Court pa. Posibleng guguluhin nila, they will rattle the minds of the judges. Ito hindi ako abugado, pero gagawin nila 'yan. Hindi kami mawawalan ng lakas loob na lumaban,” he said.

Mangudadatu said his family will be more cautious if a favorable verdict is given to the victims. According to him, there were many attempts to kidnap his children.

“Alam mo 'yung pakiramdam na pinag-aaral mo mga anak mo, pero iba yung apelyido. Alam mo 'yung nakikiusap ka sa school, na 'wag i-reveal ang apelyido nila?” he said.

Mangudadatu said that his faith helped him go through the 10 years of waiting for justice to be served. “Yung mag-isa ka lang na mag-aaruga sa mga anak mo. Akala ng tao masaya ako e. Mahirap,” he said.

“Sinabi sa akin ng mga anak ko, mag-move on ka, ‘Pa. Sabi ko oo, pero hindi mo maiaalis sa akin na hanapin ko ang hustisya. Habambuhay kong hahanapin 'yan, kahit ako na lang mag-isa,” Mangudadatu added. —Joviland Rita/KBK, GMA News