Maguindanao massacre victims died of heart attack?

MANILA, Philippines – Some of the Maguindanao massacre victims died of a heart attack?

Or did they kill each other? These possibilities were raised by one of the lawyers of the Ampatuan clan drew an outburst from the victims’ relatives Thursday.

At the resumption of the hearing Thursday at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court, the proceedings was briefly interrupted when the wife of one of the murdered journalists went berserk outside the courtroom over the statements issued by one of the Ampatuan counsels.

Myrna Reblando, wife of the late Manila Bulletin reporter Bong Reblando, screamed and lashed out at the Ampatuan lawyers while National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) medico legal officer Dr. Reynaldo Romero was on the witness stand presenting his autopsy report.

At the height of her tantrums, the relatives of the other victims and private lawyer Nena Santos tried to calm her down as she cried profusely during her outburst.

In Wednesday’s cross-examination of Philippine National Police (PNP) medico legal officer, Dr. Dean Cabrera, Ampatuan counsel Andres Manuel insinuated that some of the victims might have died of other causes like heart attack.

Edith Tiamzon, another victim's relative, said the other claim of Manuel that the victims killed each other is ridiculous.

On Thursday, Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon requested Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes to order the victims' relatives out of the courtroom as they “they can't handle the testimony of the doctor”.

At the resumption of hearing, Romero continued his presentation of the autopsy results on the relatives of Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu.

On Nov. 23, 2009, 57 people, including 32 journalists, were shot to death by gunmen, allegedly led by former Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. at a hilly portion of Barangay Salman, Sitio Malatin, Maguindanao.

source: Manila Bulletin