CDO journalists, students commemorate Ampatuan Massacre in spite of TD Verbena
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews/November 25)– Heavy rains from Tropical Depression Verbena Monday, November 24, did not stop reporters and students from commemorating the 16th anniversary of the Ampatuan Massacre—the worst pre-election violence in the country that left 58 people dead, including 32 journalists and media workers.
The reporters and students, around 25 in number, moved their rally from the Press Freedom Park to indoors at the boardroom of the Cagayan de Oro Press Club where they lit candles heard mass, and listened to the 16-year quest for justice of Cathy Nunez.
Nunez is the mother of Victor Nunez, the 22-year-old UNTV reporter who was among those killed in the Ampatuan Massacre 16 years ago.
Tropical Depression Verbena dumped 50 to 100 millimeters of rain in the city, which was placed under Tropical Storm Signal No. 1 Monday.
“I am glad to see you supporting us in all these years. You never stopped the quest for justice for the victims,” Nunez said.
Victor Nunez was reportedly among the first of the 32 journalists killed in the first volley of gunfire from the gunmen of the Ampatuan political clan.
Nunez said her son’s body was riddled with 20 gunshot wounds.
“I still remember how my son looked after he died. That picture of his bullet-riddled body in my mind drove me to the quest for justice,” she said.
Andal Ampatuan Jr., who was then mayor of Datu Unsay town in Maguindanao, and his brother Zaldy Ampatuan, former governor of the defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), were both convicted for the massacre in December 2019.
The mastermind, Andal Ampatuan Sr., who also served as governor of the then undivided Maguindanaoprovince, died of liver cancer while in detention and before the trial was concluded.
The Ampatuans have appealed their conviction before the Court of Appeals.
The CenterLaw Philippines filed a petition before the appellate court yesterday to resolve the petitions without delay and also reiterated judicial recognition for the 58th victim, Reynaldo “Bebot” Momay, a news photographer, who remains missing to this day.
Lawyer Beverly Musni of the Union of People’s Lawyers in Mindanao (UPLM) also demanded the swift resolution of the appeals in the CA and warned that the system of political dynasties that breed impunity is still well-entrenched in the country.
Musni bewailed that the UPLM lost two of its members, lawyers Connie Brizuela and Cynthia Oquendo Ayon, in the massacre.
“We continue to remember and mourn the two lawyers who were brutally killed that day,” Musni said.
Steph Bergano, a journalist from Misamis Oriental Radyo, reminded colleagues and station owners not to put the lives of their reporters at risk in pursuit of a story.
“Protect your reporters against attacks. Be it cyber bullying or attacks from government agencies,” Bergano said.
The activity ended with a candle lighting and a mass officiatedby Fr. Der John Faborada of the Cagayan de Oro Archdiocese. (Froilan Gallardo/MindaNews)
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