Ampatuan Massacare Trial Starts Tomorrow

Tomorrow will be the start of a long trial process for the greatest criminal of all time MAGUINDANAO MAYOR ANDAL AMPATUAN Junior. It seems that this will be a good gauge if justice still prevails in the Philippines because he has long been tagged with the killing of about 70 journalists and politicians in the same province. I will watch the trial on cable news the whole day. I pity the victims a lot and some of them are personal friends of friends too so you could imagine the impact of this in the local scene. Even the UN has denounced these killings.
Around 75 National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents will escort him to Camp CRAME. NBI Deputy Director for Intelligence Attorney RUEL LASALA said that NBI formed a Task Force AMPATUAN to make sure that everything will be in order tomorrow.



The Philippine National Police Headquarters Support Service (PNP-HSS) will be on full alert to make sure proceedings will be smooth come the start of the trial. According to Deputy HSS Chief, Senior Superintendent Gordon DESCANZO said that there will be 360 police men will secure the court room, the path where he will be held and the other individuals that will attend the hearings. There will be no live media coverage that will take place during the trials but I am sure that major news stations will be covering this no matter how they try to stop it. Supreme Court Spokesman Attorney Midas Marquez said that they will not allow it though.

He also reiterated that electronic devices like cell phones, laptop computers, and recording devices are not allowed inside the PNP hall that will serve as the temporary court room but they will allow coverage before they start. The victims MANGUDADATU and AMPATUANS will be located separately inside as well so they won’t have any confrontations. I hope to God that he punishes the right guy and everyone who did this to innocent people.

Mendiola Massacare

The scene in Mendiola a few hours ago where PNP stopped the rally of the farmers.

Almost a hundred farmers marched Mendiola streets a while ago in commemoration of the Mendiola Massacare where 39 farmer activists were shot down because of alleged leftist activities in the 70's. I don't know if I was born yet but it seems to me that a lot of people don't even know when or why this happened.

In the Marcos regime, they were the only ones who marched to the streets and fought oppression but they were gunned down when they tried to approach Manila's Malacanang district where the President stays. Until now, people still go there to air their grievances. They go to that same place where these people died, a widow of one of the victims was interviewed a while ago and said its sad that nobody knew of the event. For me, its an unending battle... they all complain... some of them are legitimate, some of them are just plain noisy... but in this day, these people should have at least been remembered. They fought for something then and until now, nothing has been resolved. Their lands are still owned by landlords... the land they sow crops on are still owned by the rich. What's new! But I still have hope that someday, one of our leaders would probably step up. As long as he's god fearing, can do the job, then he's good for me. I hope you guys are thinking about who to vote come 2010, because I would not like to see someone irresponsible again gaining power and money in the expense of YOUR AND MY TAXES!!!