This archive report was first published on 19 December 2019.
On November 23, 2009, a brutal mass killing shook the Philippines, leaving 58 people dead, including 32 journalists, in what would become one of the worst attacks on media workers in history.
The massacre, which occurred in the southern province of Maguindanao, was orchestrated by the powerful Ampatuan family, who were accused of attempting to quash an election challenge from a rival clan.
The case drew international criticism of the Philippines' culture of impunity, where powerful and wealthy political dynasties often operate above the law.
Prosecutors say family members and their associates carried out the attack in broad daylight on a convoy carrying an Ampatuan family rival's wife, relatives, lawyers, and the journalists, who were killed in a hail of gunfire.
With scores of witnesses and mountains of legal paperwork, the case has creaked through a Philippine justice system notoriously overburdened, underfunded, and vulnerable to pressure from the powerful.
Four Ampatuan sons, including Andal Ampatuan Jnr., who was accused of personally leading the murders, are among those facing judgement. The defendants have all pleaded not guilty.
Human Rights Watch has called for judicial reform, saying the case should serve as an impetus for change.
"It should not take another crime as heinous as the Maguindanao massacre for the Philippines to reform the delivery of justice," said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch.
