SENATOR JV DEMANDS JUSTICE FOR VICTIMS OF 'MAMASAPANO MASSACRE' AND THEIR FAMILIES; SUPPORTS DOJ'S MOVE TO TRANSFER TRIAL VENUE FROM COTABATO TO MANILA

SENATOR Joseph Victor G. Ejercito today demanded for justice as the country marks the second year of the bloody encounter in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

The senator expressed disappointment that justice remains elusive for the victims of the carnage and their families while the nation is still in the dark on what really happened on the fateful day of January 25, two years ago.

"While the heroism of the 44 Special Action Forces was continuously hailed and honored by our countrymen and the government, justice for these brave souls and families remains elusive. Will we wait for another year or more before the perpetrators of this massacre be punished so that we can move on from one of the darkest moments of our country's history? Justice delayed is justice denied," Senator Ejercito said.

Senator Ejercito also registered support for the Department of Justice (DOJ) move for the transfer of the trial venue against 88 accused from Cotabato to Manila, so as to spare the trial judge from any pressure in ruling the case one way or the other.

The 88 accused are commanders and members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), and private armed groups who were charged complex crime of direct assault with murder.

"If the transfer of the trial venue is a step to achieve justice for the victims of the bloodbath and their families, then we must support the DOJ with this crucial move. We must also back up the Duterte government's plans to fulfill the various kinds of assistance and support that the previous government had promised for the families of SAF 44, including scholarships for their children and kin and livelihood and housing assistance," Senator Ejercito stressed.