Families of Maguindanao Massacre Victims Demand Full Justice 16 Years On

Sixteen years after the tragic Maguindanao massacre, the families of the 58 victims—including 32 journalists—continue to demand full justice, highlighting that complete accountability remains elusive despite partial convictions rendered in 2019.

The Center for International Law (CenterLaw), representing some of the victims’ relatives, stressed that unresolved appeals and numerous suspects still at large hinder the full delivery of justice. "Why is it that with so many people killed, and with evidence more than sufficient, it has been 16 years and we still have no justice?" lamented Ramonita Salaysay, widow of media worker Napoleon Salaysay.

"Perhaps when justice is finally served, our hearts will find peace. We won’t have to rely on sleeping pills as we have all these years," added Myrna Reblando, widow of journalist Alejandro "Bong" Reblando.

In December 2019, the Quezon City Regional Trial Court convicted 28 suspects—including prominent Ampatuan clan figures—of 57 counts of murder, sentencing them to up to 40 years in prison. Fifteen others were found guilty as accessories to murder, while at least 57 accused, mostly police officers, were acquitted. Convicted individuals were ordered to pay each victim’s family PHP 100,000 in civil indemnity, moral damages, and exemplary damages.

Despite the ruling, appeals remain pending before the Court of Appeals six years later. CenterLaw plans to file an urgent motion on behalf of 19 families, pressing the appellate court to promptly resolve these appeals and urging the government to provide immediate financial compensation to victims’ families.

CenterLaw also revealed plans to seek judicial recognition of photojournalist Reynaldo "Bebot" Momay as the massacre’s 58th victim, pointing out the failure to include his name on official victim lists. Momay’s daughter, Ma. Reynafe, expressed the enduring pain of not having recovered her father’s remains, saying, "For 16 years, our family has carried an invisible grief—made heavier because my father’s name still waits to be fully acknowledged as a victim."

The massacre occurred on November 23, 2009, when over a hundred armed men linked to the Ampatuan clan intercepted a convoy en route to file a certificate of candidacy. Among the victims were journalists, relatives of then-vice mayor Esmael Mangudadatu, lawyers, aides, and civilians. Although 197 individuals were charged, the 2019 court decision addressed only 101 suspects, with dozens still evading arrest.

"Sixteen years is far too long," CenterLaw emphasized. "Full justice must not only be promised—it must finally be delivered."

Human rights groups in Mindanao, including the Union of People’s Lawyers in Mindanao (UPLM), reiterated the massacre’s significance in exposing systemic impunity and called for intensified efforts to address ongoing political violence and corruption. UPLM condemned the persistence of "warlordism and state-sanctioned impunity," describing the massacre as a "brutal demonstration of how fascist mechanisms are weaponized by political dynasties to silence dissent and protect their power."

The group warned that impunity continues to fuel both violence and large-scale corruption, linking the massacre’s legacy to current national scandals. UPLM has urged dismantling private armies, abolishing political dynasties, and expediting the resolution of all remaining cases.

"We will never forget," UPLM declared. "The conviction of a few principals is not the end of justice. All perpetrators—whether they wield guns or pens—must be held to account. The memory of the 58 victims, and of our colleagues, is a burning flame that guides our path."