By CYRILL YAMBAO
THREE suspects in the Ampatuan massacre case were arraigned today after the delay for two consecutive hearings.
Tato Sampogao, Taya Bangkulat, and Salik Bangkulat were accused of 57 counts of murder, connivance with the Ampatuan clan, and use of firearms that caused carnage in Sitio Masalay, Barangay Salman, Ampatuan town in Maguindanao.
The three refused to respond but a plea of not guilty was entered for them.
In today’s hearing, Police Chief Inspector Raymond Cabling again took the witness stand as defense lawyers continued with the cross examination of evidences.
Lawyer Paris Real asked if Cabling conducted a microscopic examination of the fibers of clothing, as well as a hand examination to determine whether or not the victims discharged firearms in self-defense.
Cabling answered “no” to both and said that based on the wounds, he didn’t think the victims acted in self-defense through natural instinct.
Real also questioned Cabling’s decision to embalm the victims before autopsy, especially since a medico-legal book by Dr. Solis recommends otherwise.
Cabling defended that the bodies would decompose when not embalmed immediately, but clarified that it is still a case-to-case basis.
Real then asked if Cabling and the entire Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) Region 12 acquired a permit for excavation from the Department of Health.
Cabling said they submitted no such request to the DOH, but claimed to have received verbal and written orders from the Directorate for Intelligence Police Operation-Western Mindanao.
Another defense lawyer Andres Manuel Jr. inquired why Cabling still had to take pictures of the crime scene when the SOCO Region 12 team had two official photographers.
Cabling said he only wanted to supplement his teammates’ documentation, given the size and location of the crime scene, as well as the number of victims.
Manuel also noticed that some members of Cabling’s team weren’t wearing gloves while processing the crime scene, as reflected in the pictures previously presented by the medico-legal officer.
Cabling explained that the persons being pointed out by Manuel were not holding any object essential to the scene of the crime.
Manuel probed on the possibility that the victims were buried alive, and died not to gunshot wounds but to lack of oxygen.
Cabling agreed, but reasoned hemorrhage from gunshot wounds is still more likely to cause death.
Manuel also pointed out discrepancies on the victims’ ages, as recorded in Cabling’s autopsy reports and on the official death certificates of the victims.
Due to time constraints, Cabling said he was not anymore able to doublecheck all documents for submission.
Myrna Reblando, wife of slain Manila Bulletin reporter Bong Reblando, was supposed to testify after Cabling, but is currently out of the country.
Prosecution lawyers then presented their next witness, PO1 Rudimer Daproza.
Daproza testified as a member of the SOCO Region 12 team who affirmed his presence in the crime scene and substantiated other matters filed for the accused.
The prosecution is scheduled to present on June 8 one set of evidences applicable for all the accused who filed a petition for bail.
Hearing resumes at 9 a.m. tomorrow at Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig for the continuation of Daproza”s cross examination.
The Ampatuan massacre is the worst election-related violence in the Philippines that killed 58 civilians on Nov. 23, 2009. —with reports from Kathlyn dela Cruz
(The authors are students of the University of the Philippines doing their summer internship at VERA Files.)