MOSCOW, November 23 (Sputnik) — Amnesty International has called on the Philippine government to step up the process of bringing to justice those responsible for the 2009 Maguindanao massacre, the watchdog said in a statement issued Sunday.
"The Philippine authorities must get their act together and ensure that accountability for this horrific massacre is given high priority and enough resources," Hazel Galang-Folli, Amnesty International's Philippines Researcher, said in the statement published on the organization's website.
"Justice delayed is justice denied," he added, stressing that "five years after the Maguindanao massacre, the cases are still inching through the Philippine court system and not a single person has been held to account."
The statement was released over the fifth anniversary of the Maguindanao massacre.
According to the watchdog, arrest warrants have been issued for 197 suspects since November 2009, but nearly half of the suspects remain at large. The organization also noted nobody has been charged for the massacre.
Galang-Folli called on the Philippine authorities to "get their act together and ensure that accountability for this horrific massacre is given high priority and enough resources."
The statement also revealed that at least eight witnesses, including their family members, have been killed following the massacre.
"Each killing of a witness creates a fresh injustice while reducing the chances of justice being served for the families of the victims of this horrific massacre," Galang-Folli stated, adding that "court cases have traditionally relied heavily on witness testimony."
On November 23, 2009, 58 people, among them 32 journalists, were killed on the way to the Philippines' southern province of Maguindanao to vote for a local governor. The election convoy, carrying family members and supporters of a Maguindanao gubernatorial candidate, was attacked by over 100 armed men, reportedly including police and military personnel.
