As the infamous Maguindanao massacre commemorates its 1,000th day, Malacañang yesterday  reiterated its commitment to the families of the victims to bring the perpetrators of the brutal massacre to justice.
“On the part of the Executive we do continue to listen to their concerns. We have said this in the past, the offer of security still stands if there are families of the victims who would like to avail themselves of that security, of that protection,” deputy presidential spokesman Abigail Valte told a radio interview.
“Likewise, the order of the President to our prosecutors still stands to avoid any delay on the part of the prosecution, and also to fight any delay that maybe proposed, any dilatory tactics that maybe done by the other party. That order still stands,” she added.
Malacañang earlier had urged Maguindanao massacre witnesses who had previously turned down the government’s offer of security to avail themselves of the Witness Protection Program (WPP) following the death of another witness in the case.
It noted that while there are witnesses under the WPP, they have refused security offer from the government.
“We are urging all the witnesses of the Maguindanao massacre to accept the security offer from the government and knowing there is an attempt on your lives, please, we would ask you again to accept our offer of security,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.
“We will offer them again security and we certainly do not want their life threatened and in this situation, terminated. We want the Ampatuan massacre case to proceed and so we would once again offer to those who turned down our offer,” he added.
Journalists, press freedom advocates, families of victims and artists will hold a vigil today in Quezon City, marking the 1,000th day since the massacre claimed more than 50 lives on Nov. 23, 2009.
Among the media organizations joining the vigil are the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), Philippine Press Institute, Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism and networks ABS-CBN and GMA7.
Also on Aug. 19, families of massacre victims will hold a press conference at the Forest Lake Memorial Park in General Santos.

“The activity aims to remember the fallen victims of the massacre, 32 of whom are members of media. The continued killings of journalists and refusal of Congress to pass the Freedom of Information Law have underscored the dire state of press freedom in the country,” the NUJP said in its Web site.
“Families of victims will be there to give out messages. Journalists and freedom advocates will also perform,” it added.
The Ampatuan clan, which controlled dozens of militiamen, has been blamed for the Maguindanao massacre.
Among the victims include the rival Mangudadatu clan members, their supporters and media workers who were traveling in a convoy when they were halted by gunmen.
Of the 196 officials, police and militiamen accused in the case, 96 were arrested and 76 were arraigned. But 100 of them, including some of the Ampatuans, have remained at large.      PNA