ALMOST A MONTH AFTER MAGUINDANAO MASSACRE, STATE WORKERS PRESS FOR SPEEDY TRIAL AND JUSTICE FOR THE VICTIMS

Submitted by courage_phil on Mon, 12/21/2009 - 23:31.

The leaders of the
Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees
(COURAGE) reiterated today their demand for justice for the victims of the Maguindanao
massacre which claimed the lives of 57 people, 32 of which are media workers.

                                            

At the weekly Kapihan
sa Cypress, COURAGE National President Ferdinand Gaite said that the
preliminary investigation may not exactly guarantee speedy justice and reminded
the public to remain keen on the development of the case. “As much as we see a
silver lining in the preliminary investigation, we are concerned that the
‘masterminds’ of the gruesome crime will not be convicted,” said Gaite.

 

The militant group
insisted that Mrs. Arroyo and the military must also be held accountable for
coddling and sponsoring the Ampatuan warlodism in Maguindanao. “Huwag nating kalimutan na ang halimaw na
ito ay likha ni Arroyo. Kung hindi dahil sa basbas niya, hindi aabot sa
ganitong punto ang paghahari-harian ng mga Amapatuan,” claimed Gaite.

 

The leader also lauded
Quezon City Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes for agreeing to preside over the
high-profile case. QC RTC Judge Luisito Cortez earlier inhibited himself from
handling the same case. Gaite also urged the government to ensure the security
of the lady judge. “We admire her courage. Her dedication to public service is
an inspiration to all the good men and women inside the bureaucracy who
continue to uphold their sworn duty to put the interests of the people above
all,’ stated Gaite.

 

The state workers
expressed that the non-stop protests from the different sectors and the
vigilance of the press people have been instrumental in the significant
progress of the case. “We commend the media for their courage in continuing
their tasks amidst these trying times. They can rely on  the government workers who in solidarity
shall work hand in hand with them until justice is finally achieved and the culture
of impunity ended”.

 

On a lighter note,
the leader in jest said Ampatuan deserved being hit by a camera from the media
yesterday during the preliminary hearing. “Either intentionally or not, at
least the media only hit Ampatuan with a camera. The Ampatuans’ deserve more
than that for brutally slaughtering the media,” Gaite ended.  #