The Philippine Online Chronicles

The Maguindanao Massacre trial continued today with primary suspect Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. pleading "not guilty" to an additional 15 murder charges brought to Manila from the Cotabato City Regional Trial Court.

The charges were filed by the relatives of the other journalists and media workers who were caught in the brutal elections-related killing last November 23 by a group of armed men supposedly led by Ampatuan Jr.

Ampatuan Jr. is already facing 41 murder cases filed against him by the Department of Justice (DOJ), with evidence provided by the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). A total of 57 were killed during the massacre.

The arraignment for the 15 additional charges took place before the continuation of Ampatuan Jr.’s hearing for bail. A number of witnesses have already been brought forward to testify against Ampatuan Jr. in the four previous hearings, including political rival Esmael ‘Toto’ Mangudadatu, whose wife and two sisters were among those slain in the Maguindanao Massacre.

Mangudadatu was brought back to the stand today to be cross-examined by Amaptuan Jr.’s lawyer, Sigfrid Fortun. Fortun took the offensive against Mangudadatu, saying he was indicted for murder in 1999 and 2001 and was trying to bring the Ampatuan clan down by charging them with murder.

“What better way to put down the Ampatuans than accuse them of murder,” Fortun said to Mangudadatu. “By making the statement [accusing Andal, Jr.] you are now catapulted in the limelight.”

According to Commission on Human Rights Chairperson Leila de Lima, Fortun was trying to “impeach Mangudadatu’s credibility.”

"He was also being put on the corner on supposed family of Mangudadatu…The insinuation is since they are a big political clan, they also have the capacity to stage a similar scenario,” she added.