“Let us not forget to condemn this gruesome incident in our nation’s history. We should ensure that justice will be swift to those who see it. As a legislator, I will do my share to make sure that the rights of the victims shall be upheld and to enact and support laws if need be so that incidents like this will not happen again,” Magsaysay said.

Datumanong even said that he would support the imposition of death penalty to help address numerous killings, as he expressed hopes for the immediate prosecution of the perpetrators of the Maguindanao massacre.

“I’m in favor of the death penalty but I’m not sure it will succeed because of strong opposition from the Catholic Church. But I believe that if the death penalty will be restored, it would somehow deter crimes,” he said.

“We reiterate our condemnation of the gruesome Maguindanao massacre that happened in Nov. 23, 2009. Hopefully, such would not happen again. In the case of the court proceedings, I hope it would be expeditious for both parties – the victims’ relatives and friends, and the accused some of whom may not be guilty,” he said.

House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. likewise expressed the Lower Chamber’s readiness to come up with a legislation that would resolve the lingering problem of private armies.

“We should not forget. We hope the prosecution would be speeded up and those (suspects) still at large be apprehended so they would face justice. But beyond the Maguindanao massacre, the bigger issue of private armies should be addressed. I will work hard to make sure that human rights in this country is protected not only of journalists but every Filipino. The House will find ways to put in pertinent legislation on this,” he said.

Police and military records showed there are 72 remaining active private armed groups out of the total number of PAGs numbering to 107. The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has still the highest number of private armies with 19, followed by Region 1 with eight, and Regions 5 and 10 with seven.

The Zenarosa Commission, which was formed during the Arroyo administration, has recommended the passage of an Anti-Private Armies Act, an Anti-Political Dynasty Law, and a law imposing stiffer penalties against those who will be arrested on illegal possession of firearms and those who will be apprehended in committing crimes with the use of firearms.

Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone, chairman of the House Committee on Public Information, called on the Aquino government to put an end to the violence hurled against journalists.

“We urge the Aquino administration to do its best to put an end to violence against journalists. We also call on the general public to remain vigilant and immediately report abuses or possible threats against journalists and violation of human rights,” he said.

A former journalist, Evardone is scheduled to meet with officials or representatives of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), National Press Club (NPC), and other media organizations for a round table discussion in the coming days.

Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño called for the removal of civilian volunteer organizations (CVOs), which according to him, “was a major factor in the building and feeding of the Ampatuan warlord dynasty and all the other private armies of politicians across the country.”

“As long as the executive policies for CVOs are still in place, the massacre in Maguindanao will be replicated in variousscales across the country,” he said.

He said the past administration made matters worse by issuing Executive Order 546 in July, 2006 that allowed the arming of CVOs, including the 104 CVOs implicated in the Ampatuan massacre.

112 suspects still on the loose
Exactly a year this Tuesday after the grisly killings of 57 journalists and civilians in Maguindanao, the Philippine National Police (PNP) is still scrambling to arrest the remaining 112 suspects who were identified and charged in connection with the massacre.

But Chief Superintendent Benito Estipona, commander of Task Force Maguindanao, said they remain optimistic of getting them all, what with the creation of a total of 20 police tracker teams, two of them are based in Metro Manila following reports that some of the massacre suspects are now hiding in the metropolis.

“This is intended to expedite the arrests of the suspects who remain at large, some of the police officer-led tracker teams are based in Maguindanao, Cotabato and even General Santos City,” said Estipona in a phone interview.

“Two of the tracker teams are based here in Camp Crame because we have been receiving reports that some of the suspects are hiding here (Metro Manila). One of them was even arrested in Pasay,” he added.

Estipona is referring to Mochtar Daud, alleged driver of the Ampatuan clan, who was collared while watching a motorcycle race in Pasay City two months ago.

The PNP is averaging an arrest of one massacre suspect every week and Estipona said the P250,000 reward offered for each of the suspect is of big help in encouraging the public to assist them.

But the official credited the arrest of most of the suspects, now a total of 83 including policemen and key members of the Ampatuan clan, to the tracker teams, which he said, has been conducting extensive background and intelligence information as to the whereabouts of the massacre suspects who remain at large.

DoJ monitor
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has appointed Undersecretary Francisco F. Baraan III to oversee and closely monitor developments and proceedings of the Nov. 23 massacre in Maguindanao to address problems in the litigations, including the reported disagreement between public and private prosecutors.

Exactly one year this Tuesday after massacre, De Lima said the Department of Justice (DoJ) was aware of the general perception that development in the Maguindanao massacre is too slow.

She said there were many victims and accused in the case being heard at the sala of Quezon City Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes. “At ang resources ng akusado at yung capacity to delay and derail the proceedings. Pero yan ang ano ko ngayon, internally sa aming prosecution panel,” she said.

She issued standing directive to the prosecution panel to really be more focused and aggressive in the prosecution

Jail officer back
Meanwhile, Senior Inspector Lloyd Gonzaga, the same jail official who allowed Andal Ampatuan Jr., the prime suspect in the massacre, out of his handcuffs to preside over a press conference within the “high-security” penal facility last April 20 is back to his post as head of the Metro Manila District Jail.

The impromptu presser drew so much condemnation from different sectors that Gonzaga, then-jail warden of the five-story MMDJ in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, was sacked from his post.

But the official was again seen observing court proceedings and tending to the needs of jail officers during the continuation of the multiple massacre hearings last November 17 at the first-floor courtroom of the MMDJ.

Approached by this reporter, the soft-spoken Gonzaga confirmed that he was relieved a few months prior. “Na-relieve ako noon at na-transfer sa ibang unit (I was relieved back then and transferred to another unit),” he said.

“Na-transfer ulit ako dito (I was transferred again here),” answered Gonzaga when asked why he was back at the jail facility.

Charisma Luci, Manila Bulletin