InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5
MANILA, Philippines - A key witness in the trial of the accused in the November 23, 2009, Maguindanao massacre has backed out, stunning those commemorating the second anniversary of the infamous day.
Police Chief Inspector Sukarno Dicay, former police director for Maguindanao, was one of 21 policemen accused of taking part in the Ampatuan massacre because he admitted blocking the convoy of the victims and tagged Datu Unsay Ampatuan as behind their abduction. He later turned state witness, but backed out on Wednesday.
His withdrawal as witness was made known at the ongoing trial of the case, where an unprecedented 196 people are accused, of whom only 60 have been arraigned.
It was not clear what prompted him to do so. A prosecution lawyer hinted at possible bribery by the Ampatuans, the once-powerful warlord clan that is tagged as the main force behind the massacre.
Dicay’s lawyer Gally Angeles denied bribery, and said that, “We believe the evidence against Dicay for participation is not strong.”
News of his withdrawal filtered out even as tens of thousands prepared to march from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila to historic Mendiola on Wednesday afternoon in the main event marking the International Day to End Impunity.
In early 2010, after the massacre, the then Maguindanao OIC police director had told a TV5 team, “Hindi kami responsable na pumatay sa mga tao . . . Si Mayor Unsay ang nag-abduct, eh,” adding later, “hindi ako mamamatay tao.” [We are not responsible for killing these people. Datu Unsay [Ampatuan] had them abducted. I’m not a killer.”
Dicay admitted blocking the Mangudadatu convoy in sitio Malating in Maguindanao, effectively making it easy for Unsay’s men to get to them.
But Dicay then insisted he did not abduct the victims.
At Wednesday’s hearing, the prosecution presented its 73rd witness, Major Pete Navarro of the 64th Infantry Division. He blamed Dicay for effectively preventing them from getting to the victims in time to save them.
On hearing these, families of the victims attending the hearing cried out.
Monet Salaysay, widow of journalist Napoleon Salaysay, cried out “shameless.”
The prosecution had hoped Dicay’s remarks tagging Unsay would bolster the case against the Ampatuans.
With this development, lawyer Santos now worries about other witnesses, and is calling for the primary accused to be tried before others, on the basis of evidence thus far presented, in order to save time.
Santos blurted out, “They got to him. It’s hearsay “pero meron akong idea kung bakit, paano at magkano [I’ve an idea as to why, how and for how much this withdrawal is].”
