THE Maguindanao massacre case hearing will resume today, Tuesday, with the pre-trial of the case to be held at the heavily-guarded makeshift courtroom inside Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan in Taguig city.
State Prosecutor Juan Pedro Navera said Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 221 Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes scheduled the pre-trial at 9 a.m.
Navera said after the pre-trial, the prosecution will start presenting its witnesses and evidence against the suspects.
"The pre-trial involves the pre-marking and manifestations during pre-trial conference, then the court will issue pre-trial order to be signed by both parties. After that the prosecution will start presenting its evidence."
Navera added that the suspects who were already arraigned for the crime are mandated to attend Tuesday's proceedings.
The sala of Solis-Reyes is hearing the criminal aspect of the case against the members of the Ampatuan family, including the clan's patriarch, former Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr.
The administrative case concerning the Maguindanao police personnel implicated in the grisly massacre is being heard by the National Police Commission (Napolcom).
Aside from Andal Sr., other family members included in the list of suspects are former Datu Unsay mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) Governor Zaldy Ampatuan and Mamasapano town Mayor Akmad "Tato" Ampatuan.
Last week, Solis-Reyes ordered the resetting of the pre-trial to August 17 after lawyer Nelson Roque, counsel for Police Inspector Michael Joy Macaraeg, failed to show up at the proceeding.
Earlier, the prosecution listed more than a hundred witnesses including actual eyewitnesses, forensic experts, policemen, relatives and families of the victims and military officers it will present to the court.
It also listed former Defense Secretary and losing presidential bet Gilbert Teodoro, as one of the witnesses.
Also taking the witness stand for the prosecution were National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Counter-Terrorist Unit chief Ricardo Diaz, former Ampatuan vice mayor Rasul Sangki, and his uncle Datu Mohamad Sangki.
The defense, on the other hand, said it will present high-ranking officials of the previous administration such as former Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales, former Presidential Advisers Jesus Dureza, and Prospero Pichay as well as Teodoro.
But former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has been taken out of the list of witnesses, defense lawyers said last week. (AH/Sunnex)