Family fights for ‘missing photojourn’ recognition as 58th Maguindanao massacre victim

Romilen Santander

Nearly 17 years after the Ampatuan massacre, Ma. Reynafe Momay-Castillo, daughter of missing photojournalist Reynaldo “Bebot” Momay, has renewed her appeal to the Court of Appeals (CA) to officially recognize her father as the 58th victim of the 2009 mass killing.

Accompanied by her lawyer Gilbert Andres, Castillo filed a “Manifestation Reiterative Motion” on August 14.

“Justice is also about remembering. It is about refusing to let history fade into silence. It is about ensuring that future generations know what happened and why it should never happen again,” Castillo said.

She emphasized that her father and the media workers accompanying the convoy never expected to be targeted, trusting that their press credentials would safeguard them.

Castillo added that while time makes moving on easier for others, the victims’ families continue to carry the pain of loss while hoping their loved ones are never forgotten.

In its 2019 decision, the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 convicted the key perpetrators of 57 counts of murder, excluding Momay because his body was never recovered from the crime scene.

The 2009 Ampatuan massacre occurred in Maguindanao when a six-vehicle convoy carrying journalists, lawyers, and relatives of gubernatorial candidate Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu was ambushed by around 100 armed men led by the ruling Ampatuan clan to prevent the filing of his candidacy.

The victims were forced into a remote hilltop area in Ampatuan, executed at close range, and buried in mass graves using a government-owned backhoe.

The incident left 57 victims confirmed dead and one unrecovered, making it the single deadliest event for journalists in history.