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Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Bishop seeks clemency for suspects in Ninoy slay
MANILA -- A senior bishop is willing to ask President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and former President Corazon Aquino to pardon the 15 erstwhile military personnel convicted of killing former senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino in 1983.
Palawan Bishop Pedro Arigo, chairman of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Episcopal Commission on Prison Pastoral Care (ECPPC), said the former soldiers have suffered enough and deserve to be freed.
Arroyo Watch: Sun.Star blog on President Arroyo
Arigo said the CBCP-ECPPC committee would study the cases of the soldiers to make sure that those recommended for executive clemency deserve the pardon.
He said he expects negative reactions and "implications and complications" should they push through with asking for executive clemency for the soldiers.
Once the committee completed its review, it will present the results to CBCP president and Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo.
He said that since former senator Aquino was gunned down 24 years ago, not a single investigation during the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos' time has found strong evidence against the co-called perpetrators.
Also on Tuesday, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. labeled the continuing incarceration of the 15 soldiers as "inhuman" and said it is high time for the closure of 24-year-old case.
Gonzalez said the Bureau of Pardons and Paroles (BPP) recommended the grant of parole as early as 2004 but this was not acted upon by President Arroyo.
Gonzalez said there is no more need for him to reiterate the BPP's recommendation since under the law, the convicted soldiers are already entitled to the parole as they have already served 12 years, the minimum years behind bars required to qualify for leniency.
Gonzalez, who handled the retrial of the soldiers in 1986 during his stint as Tanod Bayan (Ombudsman) during the administration of President Corazon Aquino-- widow of the assassinated senator, said he was unable to finish his investigation because he was suspended by the Supreme Court (SC).
"We are trying to squeeze blood from these people to tell who are the masterminds but if they do not know, what can we do? They have served more than they have to, that's inhuman," he said.
"It's time to get a closure. What the Aquinos want is for the soldiers to pinpoint Marcos, but you can never expect anybody to reveal the mastermind if they don't know who the mastermind is. How do you get an answer?" he added.
Malacañang, for its part, sidestepped proposals to close the book on the assassination of senator Aquino saying it is "still a very delicate issue."
Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said the Palace "respects the opinion of the former Chief Justice (Andres Narvasa) but this is still a very delicate issue. We prefer to defer comment for the time being."
Narvasa has said Filipinos should close the book on the Aquino assassination and free the soldiers imprisoned for his murder. He said they are just the small fry and have "suffered enough."
Narvasa was the lead counsel of the five-member Agrava fact-finding commission that concluded the soldiers killed Aquino.
He said all the main suspects in the assassination are dead and that Filipinos are better off honoring Aquino and his martyrdom.
Bunye also dismissed queries over President Arroyo's non-attendance in rites commemorating the 24th anniversary of the late senator's martyrdom.
Arroyo has not been attending the functions since former President Aquino withdrew support from her in 2005.
Bunye said Arroyo dedicated a minute of silent prayer in honor of Aquino during the start of the National Security Council and Cabinet meeting in Malacañang. (MSN/ECV/JMR/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Bacolod. (August 22, 2007 issue)
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