Television and radio stations are broadcasting live from the trial of alleged perpetrators of the Maguindanao Massacre, the infamous 2009 mass murder of 57 people, including 34 journalists, in Maguindanao, Philippines.
For the first time ever, the Philippines Supreme Court granted a petition by media groups to live-broadcast the court proceedings in Manila where former Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan, Sr. and his son, Andal Ampatuan, Jr., along with 194 others, face murder charges. On June 1, Ampatuan, Sr., 70, was arraigned in a special court inside a Manila maximum security prison. According to AP reports, he pled not guilty, the same plea as his son and the 57 other suspects who’ve already been arraigned. The court is currently hearing testimony from witnesses called from both sides. Philippines broadcaster GMA reported that prosecution suffered a recent setback when an eyewitness who claimed to have been present while the Ampatuans plotted the murders failed to show up for a scheduled meeting last week.
Starting this week, the Supreme Court also began streaming the trial live on its website for the first time. In a statement, the court said footage of the trial, which is still undergoing test runs on the site, will be “accessible to viewers worldwide, continuously and without interruption.”
IPI welcomes the transparent move to allow live broadcasting, but hopes all perpetrators in the slaying will be brought to justice.
To follow the live broadcast, please click here: http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph