Ampatuan massacre suspects arraigned for 58th murder case

CMFR/Philippines – Seventy-eight suspects in the Ampatuan massacre were arraigned at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court last 29 May 2013 for the murder of photojournalist Reynaldo Momay.

The arraignment for the Momay murder case was held at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 at Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, located at the southern part of the National Capital Region.

Those arraigned included former Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao governor Zaldy Ampatuan and his brother Andal Ampatuan Jr.

All the suspects arraigned pleaded ‘not guilty’.

Clan patriarch Andal Ampatuan Sr. and twelve other suspects had not been arraigned pending unresolved motions.

Momay was a photojournalist for the Midland Review. He was said to be one of the 32 journalists killed in the election-related massacre at the town of Ampatuan in the province of Maguindanao last 23 November 2009. His body remains missing but his dentures were reported to be found at the massacre site. 

The massacre claimed the lives of 58 people but only 57 counts of murder were initially filed. The Momay murder case, the 58^th count, was filed later on January 2012.

A total of 194 people stand accused in the Ampatuan massacre trial. Police have detained 103 of the accused but only 93 have been arraigned for 57 counts of murder.