President Aquino cites continuous prosecution of Maguindanao massacre case

MANILA (PNA) -- President Benigno S. Aquino III on Monday cited the continuous prosecution of the Maguindanao massacre case during his sixth and last State-of-the-Nation-Address (SONA) before the joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate of the 16th Congress.The massacre claimed the lives of 58 civilians, including 15 women and 32 media practitioners in Ampatuan town, Maguindanao on Nov. 23, 2009.Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 221 Presiding Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes is now hearing the petition for bail of the principal accused, among others, former Ampatuan Mayor Andal Ampatuan, Jr.President Aquino noted that during the past administration, the former Ombudsman and the former Chief Justice were blind in the performance of their respective mandates.Then Chief Justice Renato C. Corona was impeached and subsequently dismissed from his post for non-declaration in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth (SALN) his alleged ill-gotten wealth.The President stressed that current Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales and Chief Justice Maria Lourdes P. Aranal Sereno have sufficient time to implement reforms in their respective jurisdiction.Morales was a retired Associate Justice of the Supreme Court before she was appointed to head the Office of the Ombudsman.Likewise, the President said that Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Leila M. De Lima has dispensed justice without fear or favor.De Lima was the former Chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) before she was appointed as DOJ Secretary. (PNA)