The Official Newsletter of the Ateneo Christian Union for Socialist and Democratic Advancement (CRUSADA) November 23, 2010 Vol. 1 No. 1 In this issue On the Maguindanao Massacre 1 Travel and Terrorism 2 Solutions to Poverty 2 Perspective 3 CRUSADA Bulletin 3 Theory & Politics 4 Former mayor and main suspect for the Maguindanao massacre, Andal Ampatuan, Jr. on his way to a trial marred by delays, death or disappearance and bribery of key witnesses. Justice Delayed, Justice Denied Today, November 23 marks the first anniversary of the bloody massacre of 57 men and women in Ampatuan town ofMaguindanao province. Last week, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a group of international media practitioners, enumerated a few recommendations to the P hilippine government in addressing the rather snail-paced trial of the case. The government should see this as a slap-on-the-face: the inability to deliver swift justice to the perpetrators of the crime is symptom of a failure of the State to take the side of the victims. While fair trial should not be sacrificed in favor of a quick decision, CPJ notes there are reasons to be suspicious whether fair trial is indeed being conducted. Among their recommendations are: •that the police immediately hand in evidences to the prosecutors •that the government investigate acts of violence, bribery and intimidation against/of witnesses and advise the Judiciary to revise court rules being “exploited by defense attorneys” to stall •to act against the culture of impunity Ensuring justice for the victims is only one part of the State’s responsibility, however. Removing incentives for the formation of private armies and the conditions that perpetuate them are the harder and bigger projects that require collective discernment. Politicians who believe that they can use violence to advance their aims should never be allowed to win elections too. But state elites and party leaders depend largely on these politicians; thus the cycle of violence. In politics, self and group interests raise the stakes for holding on to power. Maybe it is time to rethink t hat. Picture Source: http://article. wn.com
