Palace renews commitment to bring perpetrators of Maguindanao massacre to justice

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InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5

MANILA, Philippines -- Malacanang remains committed to bring the perpetrators of the Maguindanao massacre to justice as the country marks 1,000 days of the killings in November 2009.

Journalists, press freedom advocates, families of victims, and artists will hold a vigil Sunday in Quezon City, marking the 1,000th day since the infamous Maguindanao massacre claimed more than 50 lives on Nov. 23, 2009.

“On the part of the Executive we do continue to listen to their concerns. We have said this in the past, the offer of security still stands if there are families of the victims who would like to avail of that security, of that protection,” Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a dzRB Radyo ng Bayan interview Saturday.

“Likewise, the order of the President to our prosecutors still stands to avoid any delay on the part of the prosecution, and also to fight any delay that maybe proposed, any dilatory tactics that maybe done by the other party. That order still stands,” she added.

According to the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, the vigil will start at 4 p.m. at the Bantayog ng mga Bayani near the corner of EDSA and Quezon Avenue. The vigil will last until 9 a.m. Monday.

Among the media organizations joining the vigil are the NUJP, Philippine Press Institute, Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism and networks ABS-CBN and GMA7.

The Ampatuan clan, which controlled dozens of militiamen, has been blamed for the Maguindanao massacre. Among the victims include the rival Mangudadatu clan members, their supporters and media workers who were traveling in a convoy when they were halted by gunmen.

Of the 196 officials, police and militiamen accused in the case, 96 were arrested and 76 were arraigned. However 100 of them, including some of the Ampatuans, have remained at large. 

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