The Maguindanao massacre trial started on Sept. 8, 2010, almost 10 months after the worst election violence in Philippine history. During the first hearing, government witness and personal aide of the Ampatuans Lakmodin Saliao directly linked Andal Ampatuan Jr. to the massacre carried out allegedly on the orders of his father. Saliao said Ampatuan Jr., then mayor of Datu Unsay town, led the group of more than 100 men, mostly policemen and militiamen, that carried out the massacre. On July 17, 2015, Ampatuan Sr., patriarch of the Ampatuan clan and principal accused in the massacre, died at National Kidney and Transplant Institute. The Department of Justice has said that the death of Ampatuan Sr. does not remove his civil liability for the massacre.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer September 30, 2018 21:45 UTC