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28 March 2024

Philippine massacre lawyer defends himself

Published
By AFP

A lawyer defending a powerful family accused of carrying out the Philippines' worst political massacre says he has no regrets about taking the case even if this has made him a vilified figure.

For Philip Sigrid Fortun, litigating what his peers say is the country's "trial of the century" is a duty he has sworn to do and one that he cannot turn his back on.

The eloquent 52-year-old is the lead counsel for the Ampatuan clan, who are accused of orchestrating the murders of 57 people in November last year to eliminate a rival's political challenge.

While some in the legal field have steered away from the case because of the Ampatuans' fearsome reputation  -- one judge refused to handle it for security reasons - Fortun says someone has to ensure the wheels of justice move.

"Why are you disrespecting me? If I were not around, would the case move forward? There is a need for a defence counsel," Fortun told AFP, recalling a heated exchange with the local press.

Handling high-profile cases, however, is nothing new to Fortun.

In 2001 he became a household name when he represented then president Joseph Estrada at the Senate in an aborted impeachment trial over corruption, with the hearings broadcast live on national television.

Fortun captivated many with his savvy courtroom theatrics, and the trial eventually bogged down when senators-turned-prosecutors walked out of chambers after he succeeded in blocking them from presenting crucial evidence.

The walk-out triggered a military-backed popular uprising that chased Estrada out of the presidential palace.

Estrada - after choosing another lawyer - was later convicted of corruption in a criminal court and sentenced to life in jail, although he later received a presidential pardon.

Fortun has also defended an ex-congressman convicted of rape and murder, one of the daughters of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, and a lawmaker accused of kidnapping a young boy.

He is currently a lawyer for ex-president Gloria Arroyo, who is being investigated by the new government of President Benigno Aquino over allegations of massive corruption during her term in office, which ended in June.

Arroyo also gave the Ampatuans arms and political support, allowing them to solidify their power base in the southern province of Maguindanao by murdering and intimidating rivals, according to rights monitors.

In a lengthy interview at his upscale home in one of Manila's wealthiest districts, Fortun made no apologies for representing some of the country's most unpopular people and insisted he would continue to do so.

"I am looking for more difficult cases. What will you do with your life if you don't handle these types of cases? You become a notary public," he said.

Fortun said he had received a steady stream of death threats and hate mail since taking on the Ampatuan case, and he has banned his family from reading newspapers that tend to vilify him.

"I'll be lying to you if I say I am not affected (by the threats). When you read things that say: 'the reason why you're like that is because none of your family members have been murdered yet', of course it hits you," Fortun said.

Fortun said he did not know the Ampatuans "from a bar of soap" when he first met them shortly after the massacre.

The key suspect, Andal Ampatuan Jnr, who allegedly led more than 100 of the clan's private army in the killing spree, has not wavered in his position of his innocence, according to Fortun.

But asked whether he would continue to defend the Ampatuans if during the course of the trial he discovered they lied, he said: "Yes. It is my obligation. It is my duty.

"Actually, even if I see him commit a murder and I was the one approached (to defend a suspect), and they think I can handle it, I will... I took an oath that I will defend. A lawyer will not do his job on the basis of convenience or popularity."

Fortun said that since childhood he had always believed he was going to become an officer of the law.

"This is just a culmination of a little boy's dream -- that I continue to serve on the basis of what I think is the correct thing," Fortun said.

While his passion for courtroom battles and the search for the truth have driven him to succeed, he says, his loyalty and discretion are perhaps what attracts high-profile clients.

"Your secrets are safe with me. Even better than with a priest in a confessional," Fortun said.