MANILA, Philippines – A Quezon City court found two Ampatuan brothers guilty beyond reasonable doubt for the 2009 massacre of 58 people, including 32 journalists, in Maguindanao.
Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 under Judge Jocelyn Solis Reyes sentenced Datu Andal Jr and Zaldy Ampatuan and others guilty of 57 counts of murder. They have been sentenced to reclusion perpetua without parole.
But only 28 people were convicted for 57 counts of murder for the 2009 Ampatuan massacre. A total of 55 people, including Maguindanao town mayor Datu Sajid Islam Ampatuan, were acquitted. (READ: 55 acquitted, 28 convicted in Ampatuan massacre)
During the promulgation on Thursday, December 19, the parties were initially torn between having the dispositive portion or the salient points of the decision read. In the end, Reyes decided to read only the dispositive portion of the 761-page document.
The promulgation marked the end of a decade-long trial. Below is the full decision as uploaded on the Supreme Court website. (TIMELINE: The long road to justice for Ampatuan massacre victims)
– Rappler.com
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