Earlier this month, it was reported that Maguindanao massacre suspect Andal Ampatuan Jr. was having a hard time getting a new lawyer because his family’s resources were depleted after years of paying for the cost of litigation. Ampatuan didn’t want a lawyer from the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO).
Now, it seems that Ampatuan has found his man.
“Saying he accepted the controversial Maguindanao massacre murder case ‘for a very minimal fee,’ high-profile lawyer Salvador Panelo has taken over as Ampatuan’s counsel,” reports Reinir Padua in The Philippine Star.
When asked how he got hired by Ampatuan, Panel said a member of the clan contacted him through his Facebook page last week.
Panelo, who also represents Deniece Cornejo’s family, said he believes that the charges against Andal Jr. and other members of the Ampatuan clan were “fabricated.”
“I believe in their innocence. There’s injustice (committed to them). Somebody has to take this case,” Panelo stated.
The Maguindanao massacre happened on November 23, 2009 in the town of Ampatuan in Maguindanao province. The horrific event took the lives of 58 people. Some reports say there is a 59th victim.
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Screengrab from a video by the Davao City Information Office
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