Malacañang recalls pardon for two Manero brothers

They are not as lucky.

The two brothers of Norberto Manero Jr. who were convicted with him for the killing of Italian priest Tullio Favali have been scratched off the list of those President Estrada intends to pardon on his birthday.

This developed as the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) declared Manero a wanted man after he failed to meet a deadline to surrender and be tried on a 22-year-old double kidnapping with murder case.

Executive Secretary Ronaldo Zamora said they have canceled the application for pardon of Edilberto and Elpidio Manero who were part of a list of supposedly reformed convicts already submitted to the President for consideration.

He said the cancellation came after the President met with Kidapawan Bishop Romulo Valles and missionary priest Peter Geremiah two weeks ago on his controversial pardon of Manero.

Valles, in the meeting, urged the President to revoke the pardon and cancel any plan to release the Manero brothers.

Valles heads the archdiocese that covers Tulunan, the remote barangay where Manero shot to death Favali in 1985 at the height of paramilitary operations against communist and Muslim rebels. Geremiah, on the other hand, was allegedly the original target of Manero who was known as Kumander Bucay. He managed to evade the priest-killer by hiding.

"We do favor the release of prisoners who are no longer a threat to society, but not those who can cause great alarm for many people," Valles told the President.

"With the precarious peace and order condition in Cotabato, the release of the Manero brothers can be a dangerous sign which can add to the fears and insecurities of the people."

Manero was released from the National Bilibid Prison last Christmas after 11 years of incarceration. Last week, a clerk of court in South Cotabato bared that the pardoned murderer still has a pending case involving the kidnap and murder of brothers Ali and Mambawatan Mamalumpong in Barangay Kinilis, Polomolok town on Nov. 5, 1977.

Manero's wife Leonarda, alias Kumander Inday, brother Artemio and a certain Larry Gonzaga were also linked to the case.

Manero is believed to be in Metro Manila, though parole officers do not know his exact address. In a press conference earlier this month, he said he would rather "take to the hills" than return to jail.

Lawyer Edmundo Arugay, head of the NBI's Special Action Unit, said a manhunt has been launched against Manero. "He left us with no choice. We have to enforce his warrant of arrest," he said.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is poised to ask the President to revoke the pardon he granted to Manero due to his failure to comply with the conditions for his provisional freedom.

Justice Secretary Artemio Tuquero said Manero's sudden disappearance and his failure to inform his parole officer of his whereabouts are already grounds for the revocation of the pardon.

"Manero's conduct has established his inability to comply with the conditions of his release and his continued stay outside of prison is a risk the public should not be allowed to bear," he said.

Tuquero noted that Manero's failure to give his exact address to parole and probation officers and his disregard of the Senate summons for him to attend a hearing last Feb. 22 were violations of the conditions of parole.

He added that Manero's non-disclosure of the pending case against him in South Cotabato was also a ground for the cancellation of his pardon. -- With Jose Aravilla, Delon Porcalla, Efren Danao, Liberty Dones