By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.
Davao City Councilor Leah Libado-Yap yesterday hit the temporary release of Sajid Islam Ampatuan, son of former Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr., who was allowed by Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 to post bail for 58 counts of murder related to the 2009 Ampatuan massacre.
In a statement, Librado-Yap said this scenario “poses a threat and could be the precedent of a disaster as one of the accused in the Maguindanao massacre case was able to go out of jail after posting a bail of P11.6 million pesos.”
Ampatuan reportedly posted P200,000 for each of the 58 counts of murder via Travellers Insurance and Surety Corporation.
“This is blatantly unjust as thousands poor offenders all over the country, including political prisoners who are victims of trumped-up charges could not even be allowed to post bail as the system has apparently criminalized rebellion. And here comes an Ampatuan, being granted bail, to the detriment of those seeking justice for the victims of the massacre many years ago,” Librado-Yap said.
She said everyone is entitled to the right to post bail and in the case of Sajid Ampatuan, he is now allowed to be on temporary liberty, but it should have been considered in terms of the crime committed “and how we are thriving on a culture of impunity.”
“Clearlythe , Ampatuans are warlords who have ruled it over Maguindanao for the longest time and we have to be careful as they will again sow terror and ride on the susceptible situation we have in Maguindanao right now. The mere act of granting him liberty is a cause for alarm. It tells us that something is very wrong with our penal and justice systems,” Librado-Yap said.
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