ONE of the principal witnesses against the 50 new suspects in the Ampatuan massacre case is facing an arrest warrant issued by the Regional Trial Court in Cotabato City for the murder of a jail warden 17 years ago.
In a letter addressed to Justice Secretary Secretary Leila de Lima, the family of jail warden Al-Khail Tangki Mamalangkay sought her assistance in serving the arrest warrant against former Datu Salibo town Mayor Akmad Ampatuan.
On Monday de Lima disclosed that Akmad has been placed under the government’s Witness Protection Program being one of the principal witnesses against the batch of respondents in the Maguindanao massacre case now undergoing preliminary investigation before the DOJ.
The former mayor is also one of the accused in the 2009 Maguindanao massacre case that left 57 people dead, most of them journalists.
Akmad was charged with murder before the Branch 13 of the Regional Trial Court in Cotabato on January 27, 1999 and the case has since been archived, owing to the failue of police authorities to serve the arrest warrant issued against him.
A certification issued by branch clerk of court Abdul Buayan in February said the warrant of arrest against Akmad remains enforceable.
In their March 29 letter to de Lima, members of the Mamalangkay family, led by the victim’s 80-year-old mother Tangli Mamalangkay, said they are determined to seek justice for his son whom, she said, was murdered by the former mayor.
Tangli recounted that his son was able to execute a dying declaration pointing to Akmad as his assailant.
She added that evidence against Akmad are overwhelming considering that his son’s stolen motorcycle was even found by authorities at Akmad’s residence.
The Mamalangkays admitted that de Lima’s decision to place Akmad under the WPP has somehow dampened their faith in the legal system.
The Mamalangkays said still hope that de Lima would change her mind and instead help them get the justice they deserve.
Akman is one of the princial witnesses in the complaints against 50 new suspects including 14 Ampatuans, four of which are incumbent mayors in Maguindanao, in connection with the Ampatual Massacre.
De Lima described Akmad as a “crucial witness” in the case against the new batch of Maguindanao massacre suspects.
She has ordered the WPP office to file a manifestation and motion before the RTC in Cotabato to inform it that Akmad is under government protection.
De LIma chief said the government will assert its authority to place Akmad in its custody.
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In most cases it is the lowly people, the common victims of injustices in the hands of the politicians who can only be victims of exacting vengeance.