Barring unforeseen circumstances, we are hoping for a decision by the third week of November.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar says closure is coming for the 2009 Maguindanao massacre.

A resolution to the Maguindanao massacre is expected prior to the 10th anniversary of the gruesome massacre on 23 November 2009 after the case has been submitted for decision, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar said.

The long-drawn legal battle provided a painful bruise to the national psyche as 58 individuals, including 32 members of the press, suffered brutal deaths when they joined relatives and supporters of then-Buluan, Maguindanao Vice Mayor Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu in a motorcade to the Commission on Elections office to file his certificate of candidacy for governor.

“[I]n an order dated 22 August 2019, the court has already declared the Ampatuan Maguindanao massacre case as deemed submitted for decision,” Presidential Task Force for Media Security (PTFoMS) and Undersecretary Joel Egco cited a report dated 3 September, quoting Department of Justice (DoJ) Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento.

“The court has already deemed the case as submitted for decision and, barring unforeseen circumstances, we are hoping for a decision by the third week of November,” Andanar noted.

Andanar co-chairs the PTFoMS with DoJ Secretary Menardo Guevarra.

“This is another addition to President Duterte’s legacy, that one of the most despicable acts against journalists in the history of the world will finally come to a close during his term. We expect that justice will ultimately prevail for the victims and their families,” he stated.

The politically-motivated slaughter was tagged as the worst violent election-related incident in recent Philippine history.

Members of the powerful Ampatuan clan, political rivals of the Mangudadatus, were accused of masterminding the gruesome crime.

Andal “Datu Unsay” Ampatuan Jr. is the primary accused in the case tried at the sala of Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221.

Andanar lauded the hard work exerted by members of the prosecution in the quest for justice for the victims and their families.

“Again, we cannot help but be amazed at the dedication of the men and women of the law enforcement units, prosecutors, and most especially, the Presidential Task Force on Media Security, whose passion for their work is exceeded only by their desire to see this case through its conclusion,” the PCOO official averred.

Egco vowed the agency will remain vigilant in ensuring no further delays will stall the proceedings.

“We will exhaust all means to help guard the sanctity of the judicial process in these crucial times, so that justice may finally be served in these cases,” he declared.