Ampatuan finds new lawyer

CMFR/Philippines – One of the primary accused in the Ampatuan (Maguindanao) Massacre, Andal “Datu Unsay” Ampatuan, has a new defense counsel.

In the 24 September 2014 hearing, lawyer Salvador Panelo entered an appearance as Datu Unsay’s new defense counsel.

Datu Unsay and more than a hundred others, including his father, Andal Ampatuan Sr., are accused of conspiring and carrying out the murder of 58 people, 32 of whom were journalists and media workers, in Ampatuan town, Maguindanao province, on 23 November 2009. Datu Unsay was mayor of a nearby town at the time.

Datu Unsay’s former defense counsel, Philip Sigfrid Fortun, and two other members of the defense panel, Andres Manuel and Paris Real, resigned on 7 August 2014. They did not explain why.

The three lawyers represented more than 20 accused in the massacre trial, including Datu Unsay and Andal Sr.

In a hearing on 13 August 2014, only 13 of the accused allowed the court to assign a lawyer from the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) as their new counsel. Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of Branch 221 of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court gave the rest of the accused, including Datu Unsay and Andal Sr., seven days to find new lawyers.

On 17 September 2014, lawyer Firdausi Abbas entered an appearance as Andal Sr.’s new counsel. Meanwhile, Datu Unsay and the other accused asked for seven more days to find new lawyers. Judge Solis-Reyes granted the request but said it was the last extension the court would grant.

Datu Unsay is set to start presenting his rebuttal evidence in support of his bail petition in October 2014.

Meanwhile, the defense counsel of Zaldy Ampatuan, Datu Unsay’s brother, presented their second witness in support of Zaldy’s bail petition, Arlene Kaling.

Kaling was Zaldy’s family cook in Davao City in November 2009.

In the 24 September 2014 hearing, Kaling testified that Zaldy was in Davao City on 20 November 2009 and left in the early morning of 23 November 2009, the day of the massacre. Zaldy was the governor of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao region at that time.

She said Zaldy was in Davao City for the birthday of his youngest son.

Zaldy’s defense counsel is set to present at least 58 more witnesses to support Zaldy’s bail petition.