Kin of massacre victim hail guilty verdict

By: Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – The sister of one of the lawyers killed in the Ampatuan massacre 10 years ago said she is happy and thankful for the guilty verdict on the masterminds and other suspects.

Andrea Jayme a former kagawad in Barangay Mansilingan here and the sister of Atty. Connie Jayme Brizuela, monitored the promulgation of the verdict at the Negros Press Club here Thursday.

Brizuela was one of the lawyers of then gubernatorial candidate now Rep. Esmael Mangudadatu who was the target of the Ampatuan clan.

“I feel I am trembling, while I expect that the verdict is conviction. I am shaking, I am truly happy,” Jayme told reporters here after the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 found Datu Andal Ampatuan Jr. and his brother Zaldy Ampatuan guilty of murdering 58 persons, including 32 journalists.

The Andals and 26 others were sentenced to suffer reclusion perpetua or up to 40 years in prison without parole for 57 counts of murder.

The ruling by RTC Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes found them guilty on 57 murders because the body of the 58th fatality, photographer Reynaldo Momay, remained missing.

A total of 197 persons were charged, but 80 others remain at large. A total of 42 were convicted on Thursday while 55 were acquitted.

“We can say we can have a closure now, we have attained justice for the death of my sister,” Jayme said.

She added that the verdict is also the best Christmas gift for their family.

She said that her sister Connie was a classmate of now Rep. Mangudadatu at the Mindanao University where both took up law.

Connie flew from Negros to Mindanao after Mangudadatu asked her to accompany him in filing his candidacy for ARMM governor in 2009.

Before the massacre, she also recalled that her sister sent them a message that they were abducted.

That was the last they heard from her.

After hearing the verdict, Jayme and Negros Press Club president Chrysee Samillano lighted a candle at the NPC Marker of the Fallen Journalist.