ANWAR Ampatuan wants the court to release him citing witness false claim about his involvement in
the November 23, 2009 slaughter of 57 people, including 32 journalists in Ampatuan, Maguindanao.
Datu Anwar Ampatuan one of the suspects in the infamous massacre yesterday asked the Quezon City Regional Trial Court to drop the multiple murder case against him and release him from illegal detention.
Ampatuan through his lawyers Sherwil Real and Emmanuel Brotarlo, in their motion said the Department of Justice’s resolution dated Feb. 5, 2010 “whimsically and unlawfully indicted” him.
The lawyers claimed there was no evidence to provide that their client conspired with the accused in killing the victims as there was “no basis either in law, fact, justice or equity to indict” their client.
They added that charges on their client, for his supposed involvement in the Maguindanao massacre are based on a “fairy tale.”
They asked the QCRTC Branch 221 to drop the multiple murder charges because “Kenny Dalandag’s story about the massacre is bewildering and unbelievable,” protesting against the witness’ testimony.
They added that Dalandag’s testimonies “must be debunked as fairy tales.”
The witness is said to be a member of the alleged “private army” of the Ampatuan clan, whose members and supporters were indicted in connection with the Nov. 23, 2009 massacre.
Ampatuan’s lawyers cited in their motion that Dalandag’s testimony, where he said that the convoy of the massacre victims was blocked in Barangay Matagabon, was contrary to the authorities’ version.
The lawyers cited report of the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit noted that the incident happened in Sitio Malating, barangay Salman, which was a kilometer away from Sitio Malating.
