World Association of News Publishers


Key Masterminds in Maguindanao Massacre Convicted

Key Masterminds in Maguindanao Massacre Convicted

Article ID:

22740

Members of the powerful Ampatuan family have been sentenced for their role in masterminding the 23 November 2009 massacre of 58 people in the southern Philippine province of Maguindanao, Mindanao island. Amongst the dead were 32 journalists and media workers, representing the worst single attack against media professionals on record.

Convicted by a special court sitting in Taguig City, Luzon, five members of the country’s most powerful political clan - which governed the southern province of Maguindanao for decades - were sentenced to life imprisonment for the killings. The massacre was found to have been overseen by Andal Ampatuan Jr, a former town mayor and son of the former governor, Andal Sr.

The verdict represents the culmination of a 10-year struggle for justice in a case that has become emblematic of the fight against impunity for crimes against journalists.

While the verdict has been widely welcomed, concerns remain for the safety of the families of survivors and others involved in the case, as over 80 suspects remain at large. Some members of the Ampatuan family were also acquitted.

The Ampatuan’s and their allies were accused of ambushing and killing members of the rival Mangudadatu family, who were travelling to file election candidacy papers for Esmael Mangudadatu.

Mangudadatu, who planned to run as governor of Maguindanao, said that he had received death threats from the Ampatuans. He sent his wife and their supporters to file his candidacy, in the belief that they would not be attacked. Their convoy was ambushed and shot at by 100 gunmen.

“The quest for justice does not end with the verdict of the Maguindanao Massacre case,” said a statement from the Mindanao Independent Press Council. “The media community still awaits solutions in cases involving deaths and threats among journalists. We hope that after [the sentencing], the government and its allied agencies working for the protection of press freedom and members of the press, continue to turn their attention towards these still unresolved cases.”

Author

Andrew Heslop's picture

Andrew Heslop

Date

2019-12-19 12:26

Contact information

Related nodes

In a letter sent to President Benigno Aquino, WAN-IFRA has condemned the culture of impunity that continues to surround the killers of journalists in the Philippines.

Author

Andrew Heslop's picture

Andrew Heslop

Date

2010-11-23 00:00

Grenades for breakfast; M203s for lunch; and RPGs for dinner. In the words of Mindanao journalists, this is the reality they’ve become accustomed to in their coverage of the southern Philippines region’s many challenges.

Author

Andrew Heslop's picture

Andrew Heslop

Date

2018-04-30 12:59

Ahead of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Againt Journalists (IDEI), the Mindanao Safety and Security Summit opened with calls for greater security guarantees for media workers to “ensure a vibrant, free press.”

Author

Andrew Heslop's picture

Andrew Heslop

Date

2018-10-26 10:36

In countless countries, journalists, editors and publishers are physically attacked, imprisoned, censored, suspended or harassed for their work. WAN-IFRA is committed to defending freedom of expression by promoting a free and independent press around the world. Read more ...