Daughter of Maguindanao massacre victim still in search for justice for her father

KIDAPAWAN CITY – For the daughter of the missing Maguindanao massacre victim, the court’s verdict on the case was like ‘bittersweet’ or a mixture of both happy and sad.

“It’s bittersweet. Masaya ka kasi nahatulan sila, pero hindi total ang saya, kasi may naiwan (Happy because the accused have already been sentenced, but not totally happy as one was left),” said Maria Reynafe Momay-Castillo, referring to

case of her father – freelance photojournalist Reynante Momay. Momay’s body has yet been recovered, reason his case was not included in the verdict.

Despite this, Castillo said they will continue to seek justice for her father.

Interviewed over the Facebook Messenger, Castillo recounted that at first, she was exuberant as the clerk of court started reading the verdict. But she said she blacked out when she learned that the court only considered the 57 murder cases, leaving out her father’s case – which to them is a virtual acquittal of the accused in his father’s murder.

“I could no longer process my feelings at that time. I had sort of a ‘mental’ blackout,” she said.

Due to voluminous documents and at least 400 witnesses from both sides, it took the court a decade before it decided on the case.

“We’ve waited for this only to end up so frustrated. At first, my relatives did not get what the court was saying about her father’s case. They just realized later, my father’s case was not included in the guilty verdict,” she explained.

Momay was said to have boarded a passenger van, which was part of the convoy of vehicles that headed toward Sharif Aguak, Maguindanao, to cover the filing of the certificate of candidacy of then Buluan Municipal Mayor Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu on November 23, 2009.

Castillo said she was frustrated when she heard the court’s verdict that the prosecution failed to present pieces of evidence or proof that Momay was among those killed.

“It was not enough that we presented my father’s denture which was recovered at the site. Also, it did not give merit to the testimony of a journalist who said he saw Momay boarded the van and the list of journalist that joined the convey that was presented in court by Mangudadatu. For me, that was so frustrating,” said Castillo.

But she made sure they will appeal the decision.

Her relatives in Mindanao already had initial talks with their lawyer to determine what legal remedy they could apply to get the justice that they deserve.

Castillo is an overseas Filipino worker based in the United States.