Sixteen years after the 2009 Maguindanao massacre that killed 58 people including 32 journalists, full justice remains elusive despite 2019 convictions. Victims' families and human rights groups highlight the ongoing struggle against impunity and corruption. They call for swift resolution of appeals and recognition of all victims.
On November 23, 2009, in Sitio Masalay, Barangay Salman, Ampatuan, Maguindanao del Sur, over 100 armed men from the Ampatuan clan stopped a convoy of 58 people, including journalists, lawyers, and Mangudadatu family members. The convoy was heading to file Esmael Mangudadatu's certificate of candidacy for governor, challenging Andal Ampatuan Jr. Among the killed were Mangudadatu's pregnant wife and sisters, lawyers like Cynthia Oquendo-Ayon and Connie Brizuela, and ordinary motorists.
Oquendo-Ayon sent text messages amid the attack: “Christian grtng! Kidnap me with tatay, dahan mi, pls advise client Ampatuan. Tama na, pls, we myt get killed they r firing.” Followed by, “Daghan na patay. Sunod mi. Igna tom.” These messages, recovered from her cellphone, were used in court to place Ampatuan Jr. at the scene.
In December 2019, the Quezon City Regional Trial Court convicted Andal Ampatuan Jr., Zaldy, and Anwar Sr. to reclusion perpetua without parole on 57 counts of murder. Twenty-eight co-accused, including police, received 40-year sentences, while 15 were convicted as accessories for 6-10 years. Fifty-five were acquitted, and over 80 remain at large out of 197 charged.
Photojournalist Reynaldo “Bebot” Momay is not yet recognized as the 58th victim due to his body never being found. His daughter, Reynafe Momay Castillo, said: “Every year, November 23 reminds me of the day my father never came home. For sixteen years, our family has carried an invisible grief.”
The Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in Mindanao (UPLM) links the massacre to current corruption: “The brazen plunder of public funds... are the logical extension of the same culture of entitlement and unaccountability.” The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) and Cagayan de Oro Press Club (COPC) will hold a commemoration on November 24, 2025, in Cagayan de Oro. COPC president Froilan Gallardo stated: “The Ampatuan massacre was not merely an assault on 58 individuals – it was a massacre of the very idea that citizens deserve to know.”
The Center for International Law (CenterLaw) will file a motion for appeal resolutions and compensation. Justice hangs in the balance, underscoring the broader culture of impunity in the country.