Article Archive

The prosecution presented eight key witnesses, including a former vice mayor and a former trusted man of the Ampatuans. Separately, they testified on how they saw the planning and execution of the ambush against the Mangudadatu party that led to the killing of 58 persons on Nov. 23, 2009.

Rodrigo R. Duterte is a most secretive President when it comes to the details of his wealth. To this day, eight months after the April 30 deadline for filing, he has not released a copy of his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) for 2018.   By all indications, Duterte sticks out as the lie of his own Freedom of Information (FOI) edict.

By the numbers, the Ampatuan Massacre trial was a massive process that ran through nearly nine years. It involved 134 key witnesses for the prosecution, 58 private complainants, and witnesses for the defense.

Fraught still with attacks and threats -- that is the sorry state of media freedom in the Philippines under the Duterte Administration. It highlights the unyielding reign of impunity, even as the nation awaits next week the promulgation of judgment on Dec. 19, 2019 of the Ampatuan Massacre case of Nov. 23, 2009 that claimed the lives of 58 persons, including 32 journalists and media workers.