Thursday, December 06, 2007 Look at our plight, Thelma tells Puno
WITH the country’s prisoner exchange treaty with Spain ratified and with the Spanish Government supposedly willing to take Francisco “Paco” Larrañaga under its wing, what can his supposed victims’ mother do?
Outspoken and never known to withhold emotion, Thelma Chiong, at this point, could only write a letter.
It was simply-worded, contained no demands, borrowed three lines from the Supreme Court (SC) En Banc’s July 2005 ruling that convicted Paco and seven co-accused supposedly with finality, and posed three questions.
She addressed the letter to another parent – one whose children, she hopes, will never suffer the same fate as hers – Chief Justice Reynato Puno, father of three.
Interest
“Chief Justice Puno, in the highest interest of justice, can we not question the Senate about this treaty? Has the Supreme Court the right to Stop Juan Francisco Larrañaga to avail himself of this treaty? Can we not question his dual citizenship, which was never mentioned during the trial? All his life he has lived in Cebu City, Philippines, even the time when he committed the crime,” Chiong’s letter read.
The treaty, authored by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago and ratified last Nov. 26, provides for a sentenced prisoner exchange between Spain and the Philippines. Chiong, in a previous interview, believes that the treaty was tailored-fit for Paco’s benefit.
While there are reportedly 10 overseas Filipino workers serving sentences in Spanish prisons who can come home – albeit still be incarcerated here – under the treaty, Chiong doubts if anyone in their families could have lobbied for the passage of such an agreement.
Connections
She maintained that only the Larrañagas had the connections, not to mention sufficient motivation, to pull it off.
Chiong said she waited for several years to get justice for her two daughters – Marijoy and Jacqueline.
The two women were abducted last July 16, 1997 and it took the court two years to convict the accused – Larrañaga, Josman Aznar, Rowen Adlawan, Alberto Caño, Ariel Balansag and brothers James Andrew and James Anthony Uy, the so-called Chiong 7 – and sentenced them to two life terms.
The accused separately appealed the ruling but the SC, in 2004 and 2005, not only upheld the conviction but also upgraded the penalty for Larrañaga, Aznar, Adlawan, Balansag and Caño from two life terms to death by lethal injection.
The Uy brothers were spared capital punishment after the High Court determined that they were minors at the time the crime was committed.
The five were quickly removed from death row, however, after President Arroyo, sometime in 2006, announced the abolition of the death penalty.
This year came the treaty.
“Paco Larrañaga raped and brutally murdered my two lovely daughters Jacqueline and Marijoy. They were handcuffed, with packaging tape on their faces. Marijoy was thrown in a 150-meter deep ravine and Jacqueline until now for the past 10 years is still missing,” she wrote.
“Larrañaga was positively identified by our witnesses in conspiracy with his friends and co-accused,” she added.
So, why can’t justice be served in its fullest extent? Chiong said.
Conviction
She quoted from the 2005 SC conviction ruling.
“We must be reminded that justice is not ours to give according to our sentiments or emotion. It is in the law, which we must faithfully implement. At times we may show compassion and mercy but not at the expense of the broader interest of fair play and justice.”
“While we also find it difficult to mete out the penalty of death, especially on young men, who could have led productive and promising lives if only they were given enough guidance. However, we can never go against what is laid down in our statute books and established jurisprudence.”
“I put my faith in your hands,” the letter read. (KNR)
