Aquinos oppose sentence commutation for soldiers

No, they do not deserve a commutation of sentence.

So said Tarlac Rep. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, the son of slain former Sen. Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr., who strongly opposed yesterday any move to commute the sentences of the 15 soldiers of the defunct Aviation Security Command (Avsecom) convicted in the Aquino-Galman double murder case.

Ninoy and his alleged communist assassin, Rolando Galman, were shot dead at the tarmac of the then Manila International Airport (MIA) on Aug. 21, 1983.

The senator was returning to parlay with then President Ferdinand Marcos and ask the dictator to restore democracy after almost two decades of oppression, most of them under martial law.

"They are still part of a continuing crime committed 20 years ago," the younger Aquino said of the convicted soldiers. "As far as I am concerned, they have not paid their debts to society."

He also said the fact that these 15 convicts still insist that Galman assassinated his father indicates they are still engaged in a cover-up of the assassination.

Although the matter of commutation is a legal procedure, the Aquino family can express its opposition to the move before Malacañang as "we are a representative in democracy," the Tarlac legislator said. "The government would also listen to us."

Ninoy’s brother, Makati Rep. Agapito "Butz" Aquino, said it would be up to the slain senator’s widow, former President Corazon Aquino, to decide on matters regarding the Aquino-Galman case. He said this was the stand taken by the Aquino family to avoid confusion and differences. Concurring with his nephew, the Makati legislator said it would be hard to justify moves to commute the sentences of the convicted Avsecom men because of their insistence that Galman assassinated Ninoy.

"I don’t know why they keep on insisting that (Galman was Ninoy’s assassin)," he said. "Maybe if they tell the truth, the assistance to their families would be cut off or their lives endangered." The 15 Avsecom soldiers earlier told The STAR in an interview that they did not receive any remuneration of any kind for the Aquino-Galman killings.

Deputy Speaker Raul Gonzalez said if moves to reduce or commute the sentences of these convicts gain ground, a better recourse would be to grant the convicts parole.

Under the terms of parole, Gonzalez said, the courts would still have jurisdiction over the convicts and they can be monitored.

Meanwhile, Ninoy’s widow still believes the convicted Avsecom soldiers are still lying about the Aquino assassination, her spokeswoman Deedee Siytangco said. "Mrs. Aquino has been hoping that the soldiers will tell the truth. But, personally, I think they have been saying the same story, the same lie," Siytangco said when sought for comment by The STAR.

While the convicted soldiers have again sought a commutation of their double life sentences after serving a substantial part their jail terms, Siytangco asked, "How can they be given a commutation if they are telling a lie?"

The minimum sentence for double murder is 13 years and four months. After serving the minimum sentence, a convict is eligible to seek a commutation of sentence. The 15 Avsecom soldiers have been incarcerated at the NBP maximum security compound for 20 years.

Jailed at the NBP for the Aquino-Galman double murder are former MSgt. Pablo Martinez, Capt. Romeo Bautista, former 2nd Lt. Jesus Castro, former Sergeants Claro Lat, Arnulfo de Mesa, Moreno, Mario Lazaga, Filomeno Miranda, Rolando de Guzman, Ernesto Mateo, Rodolfo Desolong, Cordova Estelo, Arnulfo Artates, Ruben Aquino and Felizardo Taran.

These soldiers were on the tarmac of the MIA when the China Airlines flight bearing Ninoy landed. MIA has since been renamed the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), after the senator whose life was ended on its tarmac by an assassin’s bullet.

As investigations into the double murder progressed, the 15 Avsecom men and their commanding officer, Brig. Gen. Luther Custodio, were convicted. Custodio died before he could serve his sentence.

Martinez also said that then Avsecom deputy commander Col. Romeo Ochoco and Capt. Felipe Valerio could be possible links to the mastermind of the assassination, but his revelations did not spur government action on the case, either.

Martinez said Galman was the triggerman who shot Ninoy and that he had been ordered by Ochoco to ensure that Galman got the job done.

In 1990, the Sandiganbayan named Moreno as the man who shot Ninoy. Moreno continues to deny he was the triggerman. "If I had really been the one, I should be dead because their orders were to kill all friendly or enemy forces that would harm Ninoy."

Malacañang has ordered Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director Dionisio Santiago to "resubmit" his recommendations on the proposed commutation of the double life sentences of the 15 Avsecom men.

"The (BuCor) director could probably resubmit (their recommendations) and this would have to be coursed through the Department of Justice (DOJ) before it is presented to the President," Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said. — With Marichu Villanueva, Evelyn Macairan, Sammy Santos and Jose Rodel Clapano