THE Aquino administration is committed to making sure that there is no delay in the ongoing trial of the Maguindanao massacre case and that it would not be part of any delay, a Palace official said Saturday.
"The commitment on the Executive is just to continue making sure that there is no delay and that we are not part of the delay," deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a radio interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.
She said the Palace shares the public view of having a speedy resolution of the case. But ensuring a successful litigation does not solely rely on the hand of the executive branch since the case is already in court, she said.
The President's instruction on government prosecutors is to make sure there are no delays in resolving the case, she said, adding the government will fight the attempts of the defense to delay the trial.
Asked to comment on the statement of Judge Jocelyn Solis who said that by 2016 the court could come up with a verdict on the Maguindanao case, Valte said the Palace respects the court and like the Filipino public, it hopes for immediate resolution of the case.
But the Palace also acknowledged the stumbling blocks that the trial may face, considering the very complex nature of the case. She said the pace may be affected by the huge number of witnesses, and the number of respondents, and also the number of testimonies being heard.
Rights advocates and the media commemorate the infamous Maguindanao massacre in its 4th year anniversary on Saturday.
On November 23, 2009, 58 people were slaughtered in the country's worst election-related violence allegedly committed by the Ampatuan clan in Mindanao.
Although 104 people have been arraigned including eight principal accused from the Ampatuan family, at least 88 of their co-accused remain at large. (SDR/Sunnex)