By Joseph Pedrajas

The families of the media persons killed in the Maguindanao Massacre expressed relief over the court’s guilty verdict of the principal accused, but said they still fear for their safety because most of the accused were acquitted and many still remain at large.

Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 Presiding Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes convicted 43 accused of 57 counts of murder, and acquitted 58 on Thursday at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.

“Parang nabunutan ng tinik sa aming mga puso. Yung parang durog na durog, biglang nabuo,” Jaymark Duhay, son of slain Jhoy Duhay, said in a press conference after the promulgation. “Nag-aaral pa po ako ng college. Di ko alam kung ano pwede mangyari sakin sa araw araw.”

(I feel relieved. I feel like what was crushed is made whole again. I am still in college, studying. I don’t know what might happen to me from day to day.)

Meanwhile, Grace Morales, wife of slain Rosell Morales, said that they would remain vigilant as they do not know what might happen to them as most of the acquitted individuals live near them.

“Nakakatakot kasi ang daming na-acquit. Siguro tama yung sinabi ni attorney [Rachel Pastores] na maging vigilant kami,” she said. (It’s frightening because so many were acquitted. Perhaps our lawyer was right in saying we should remain vigilant.)

However, lawyer Rachel Pastores, one of the prosecutors, assured the victims’ families that the cases against the at-large suspects have been archived and that there are still pending warrants of arrest against them.

“Buhay pa po ang kaso. Matutuloy ang kaso once na sila ay maaresto,” Pastores said. (The case is still open and will proceed once they are arrested.)

Pastores said the conviction of the principal accused is still a “landmark” victory.

“Kung ako po ang iyong tatanungin, malaking tagumpay po ito. Hindi lang natin sya bibilangin sa numero.” she said. “Possible pala na makakuha ng conviction basta tuloy-tuloy ang laban.”

(If you ask me, this is a huge victory. We just can’t count the numbers. It turns out that it’s possible to get convictions as long as you keep fighting.)