Malacañang would not allow itself to take all the blame for the killing of prosecution witnesses in the Maguindanao massacre case that saw 58 casualties, 32 of them local journalists.
At a press briefing, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said all the four witnesses who were killed in separate instances had “politely declined” government’s offer of security.
As though to clear the government of any liability for the death of the fourth would-be-witness against the Ampatuan family of Maguindanao, Lacierda urged the remaining witnesses in the 2009 carnage to reconsider the security and protection the government had offered to them.
He said it was “unfortunate” that the witnesses who refused government protection were being murdered one after the other. “We will again offer them security. We do not want their lives threatened, or in this case, terminated,” the presidential spokesman said.
“Those who have been provided government security are still alive...We are urging all witnesses to accept security, knowing that there are attempts on their lives,” Lacierda added.
The Malacañang official also appealed to the Supreme Court to hasten the trial of the case, which would soon be three years old on Nov. 23.
Lacierda urged acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio “to hasten the trial without affecting due process. Let us have a speedy trial.”
As this developed, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) urged the government to immediately secure and give protection to what remains of the witnesses in the casel in the wake of the recent killing of another witness.
Rowena Carranza-Paraan, NUJP secretary general, also pushed for an independent monitoring to determine how to plug the gaping holes in the trial involving the influential Ampatuan clan, accused of  murdering 58 people, including journalists, on Nov. 23, 2009 in Maguindanao.
“The Ampatuan case is revealing all the deficiencies in the justice system — a weak witness protection program, coupled by lack of political will by authorities to pursue all accused, gaping holes in the court proceedings are only some. The murders of witnesses and relatives are the most glaring examples,” Paraan said.
“If in a case like the Ampatuan massacre the state is unable to do its job, how much more so in other cases that are less monitored?” she asked.
The fourth witness killed was Alijol Ampatuan, who was initially reported missing until it was established that he was the same Menjie Mangulamas Ubpon who was shot by two men on a motorcycle on Feb. 21 in Shariff Aguak.
Alijol was an alleged aide of Kanor Ampatuan, cousin of prime suspect Andal Ampatuan Sr. He was also a leader of the civilian volunteer organization that took part in the massacre. According to a police report, Alijol sustained gunshot wounds in the chest and left arm.
Lawyer Nena Santos had said in a report that the prosecution was searching for Alijol to make him a state witness. He was supposed to identify the 36 militiamen who took part in the mass killing.
Early this month, Esmail Enog’s dismembered body was found in Mamasapano in Maguindanao.
Also, accused-turned-witness Police Officer 2 Hernanie Decipulo jumped to death inside Camp Bagong Diwa last February.
In 2010, Suwaid Upham was shot to death in Parang, Maguindanao.