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Friday, November 23, 2007
Arroyo pardons Ninoy Aquino’s killer
MANILA -– President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo early this month granted conditional pardon to one of the convicted killers of former senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., after being in prison for 24 years.
The President on November 7 bestowed the executive clemency to former Sergeant Pablo Martinez who is now 70 years old and been in jail since 1983.
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Martinez was among the 15 persons convicted for the killing of Aquino and Rolando Galman on August 21, 1983.
He was convicted by the Sandiganbayan for two counts of murder and sentenced, as adjusted, to 40 years imprisonment and asked to pay a fine of P8.38 million for damages.
The pardon was issued about a week after President Arroyo granted executive clemency on October 25 to former President Joseph Estrada who was convicted of plunder by the Sandiganbayan and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Arroyo said the pardon is given to Martinez on the condition that he would no longer violate any of the existing laws of the country.
“Should this condition be violated, he (Martinez) will be proceeded against in the manner prescribed by law,” the President said in the order of conditional pardon that she issued.
Martinez, through Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) chief Persida Rueda-Acosta, sent a letter to Arroyo requesting that he be granted executive clemency, which the President had been giving to inmates that are already aged 70 years old and above and/or suffering grave illness.
The former soldier turned pastor cited as example the case of former Zamboanga del Norte congressman Romeo Jalosjos who, although not yet 70 and has served only 10 years in prison after being convicted of rape, had been given clemency.
Martinez explained that his being 70 and having served 24 years in jail should entitle him to clemency under the Revised Penal Code.
Aside from Martinez, the other accused in the Aquino-Galman murder case are former Captain Romeo Bautista, former First Lieutenant Jesus Castro, and former Sergeants Rodolfo Desolong, Filomeno Miranda, Claro Lat, Ernesto Mateo, Arnulfo Artates, Rolando de Guzman, Ruben Aquino, Felizardo Taran, Arnulfo de Mesa, Rogelio Moreno, and Mario Lazaga. The 15th convict, Cordova Estelo, died in 2006. (JMR/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro. (November 23, 2007 issue)
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