The Quezon City Regional Trial Court, Branch 221 has ordered the release of Sajid Islam Ampatuan on his petition of bail after posting an agreeable 11.6 million peso bail.
The public is infuriated as the locals of Maguindanao are scared after the courts allowed Sajid to be released on only 200,000 peso bail for each of the 58 counts of murder against him.
The lower court issued the release order Monday after finding the bond in order – the bail bonds was secured by Travellers Insurance and Surety Corporation.
Sajid is the son of former Maguindano governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. the noted mastermind behind the Maguindano massacure case that has loomed over the heads of the Philippine Government since March 23, 2009.
Sajid is the first of numerous Ampatuan’s to be released on bail – no doubt this will create an avalanche of bail petitions which will undoubtedly free numerous others involved in the killing of 58 reporters in the southern most island of the Philippines.
The court said it granted the petition for bail after “the prosecution panel failed to establish strong evidence that would warrant the continued detention of Sajid Islam while the trial is ongoing.”