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Third witness to 2009 Philippines massacre killed
New York Times - June 2, 2012
The witness, Esmail Amil Enog, testified last year that he had driven gunmen to the site of the massacre in the southern province of Maguindanao.
Nena Santos, the prosecutor in the case, said he was found to have been mutilated and dismembered before being killed. Mr Enog died in March, but prosecutors only recently learnt of his death, she said. He is the third witness to have been killed since the trial began in 2010.
"We are still completing the investigation covertly with police," Ms Santos wrote in a text message sent during a court hearing. "We will catch the assailants and the masterminds."
On November 23, 2009, 57 people – including 31 journalists – were killed when their convoy of vehicles was ambushed en route to registering an opposition candidate for provincial governor. Prosecutors said people associated with the powerful Ampatuan family were responsible.
"There is no explanation for why they did this in such a brutal way," said Melanie Pinlac of the Manila-based Centre for Media Freedom and Responsibility.
More than 100 people suspected of being gunmen and Andal Ampatuan snr, the former provincial governor, and his son, were charged in connection with the massacre, and pleaded not guilty. About 100 more suspects are still at large. So far more than 20 people have testified. Mr Enog was a driver for the Ampatuan family.
"He could directly identify the shooters at the scene, as well as the ones who gave the orders," Ms Pinlac said. "This is a serious loss to the prosecution's case."
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