Philippine Justice Secretary Says Evidence Against Maguindanao Massacre Suspect Strong

November 27, 2009 6:55 a.m. EST

Manila, Philippines (AHN) - Philippine Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera said Friday in a TV interview that the evidence against the Maguindanao Massacre suspect is strong enough to keep Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. detained.

Ampatuan, however, insisted he is innocent of the crime. He claimed he was at the municipal hall when the killings happened. However, one of the victims - minutes before she was killed - positively identified Ampatuan in a phone call to her husband minutes before the killings were ordered. Ampatuan allegedly tried to stop the convoy of the Mangudadatu clan and media, which was on their way to the Commission on Election provincial office to file the certificate of candidacy of Ampatuan's potential rival in the coming May 2010 election.

Ampatuan instead blamed the Moro Islamic Liberation Front for the carnage, which the MIFL dismissed as absurd.

The Justice Department filed multiple murder charges against Ampatuan, even as Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago - a former regional trial court judge - recommended that terrorism charge be filed against the suspect, instead of multiple murders. More than 50 people died in the incident.

Bulan Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu filed the formal complaint against Ampatuan. The vice mayor's wife, Genalyn, was the one who confirmed through a telephone call to Mangudadatu the latter slapped her. It was after the encounter between the two groups that the massacre took place.

Ampatuan is detained at the main office of the National Bureau of Investigation in Manila. Devanadera has given a panel of prosecutors created to investigate the massacre 36 hours to resolve the complaint. The panel will then file the information with a special court to be created by the Supreme Court to try the case.