By JEFFREY G. DAMICOG
A Quezon City court on Thursday sentenced former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Governor Zaldy Ampatuan, his brothers former Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. and former Shariff Aguak Mayor Datu Anwar Ampatuan Sr. to a maximum of 40 years of imprisonment after finding them guilty of multiple murder in the 2009 Maguindanao massacre case.
After 10 years since the infamous carnage, Quezon City Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 221 issued a consolidated partial decision of the case.
In the 761-page decision, the magistrate convicted the three Ampatuan brothers as well a number of their co-accused of 57 counts of murder.
However, the magistrate also acquitted a number of the accused including their brother Shariff Saydona Mustapha Mayor Sajid Islam Ampatuan and their brother-in-law Akmad Ampatruan Sr.
Despite this, the judge gave Sajid five days to explain why he should not be cited in contempt of court for not attending the promulgation of the case.
On the other hand, Reyes did not rule yet on the case of the 58th victim, Reynaldo Momay.
On November 23, 2009, 58 persons, including 32 journalists, were killed in Barangay Salman in Ampatuan, Maguindanao.
Those killed were part of a convoy accompanying the group of then Buluan town Vice Mayor and now Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu to register his name for the 2010 gubernatorial election. (Jeffrey Damicog)