Soldiers in 1983 Aquino-Galman murders willing to tell all

All 15 convicted killers of Sen. Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. and Rolando Galman are ready to tell everything they know about the 1983 murders that shocked the nation.

Former Sgt. Claro Lat, one of those convicted of the killings, said yesterday they will reveal everything before Congress.

"We are ready to tell what we know before Congress because we feel that is the proper forum," he said.

After their petition for parole was rejected by the Supreme Court, Lat said he and his co-accused will exhaust all legal means to fight for their rights, although they do not have a lawyer.

"We understand that our petition was denied by the justices because our sentence has to be commuted first," he said.

"But then again, we have also always been denied commutation."

Speaking to reporters at the National Penitentiary in Muntinlupa City, the soldiers said they are appealing to the government and the Supreme Court to reconsider their petition.

They showed reporters several documents to prove that they are entitled to be released from prison on grounds of double jeopardy.

One of these documents was a decision of the Sandiganbayan, dated Dec. 2, 1985, acquitting them of the murders.

Capt. Romeo Bautista, another of the convicted killers, said a legal flaw had been committed when the Sandiganbayan ordered the murder case reopened in 1988.

The soldiers said they had been recommended for commutation in 1996 and 2002, but nothing happened in both instances.

They are also confused whether they are considered political prisoners or common criminals, they added.

In an interview with The STAR last year, the soldiers said they could not avail of either an amnesty or a commutation of sentence.

However, the soldiers said they are eligible for commutation of sentence after serving 21 years in prison, which includes the time they had spent in detention at a military barracks.

Lat appealed to former President Corazon Aquino to help them be freed from prison as they have already served time.

"Palayain na sana kami," he said. "Pinagdarasal po rin namin kayo. Napagsilbihan na namin ang sentensya namin."

Last year, Mrs. Aquino challenged the 15 soldiers to name the masterminds in the killing of her husband.

But the soldiers insist that they do not know who ordered the killing of Aquino‚ and that Galman had shot dead the former senator.

Emmy Divina, New Bilibid Prisons spokeswoman, said a convict is qualified for commutation of sentence and parole after he has served one-third of the total sentence imposed by a court.

"If they were sentenced to double life imprisonment, 21 years in prison is more than what is required to them," she said.

Divina said the time allowance awarded for good conduct in prison is a significant consideration in granting parole.

"There is a formula, in fact, for the time allowance," she said.

Divina said a convict serving a five-year sentence who has shown good conduct for a year would get a five-day allowance.

All the 15 convicted killers of Aquino and Galman have good records and have never gotten into trouble inside the National Penitentiary, she added.

Meanwhile, Transportation Assistant Secretary Reynaldo Berroya, who befriended the soldiers when he spent time at the National Penitentiary, told The STAR that most of them are innocent and deserve to be given commutation of sentence.

"Asking them to name the mastermind and the gunman is like the chicken and egg puzzle," he said. "How can they name anyone when they don’t know anything about how the assassination was planned."

Last year, former M/Sgt. Pablo Martinez told The STAR that he was the one who brought Galman to the airport to carry out the mission.

He was instructed by his superior, Col. Romeo Ochoco to shoot Galman if he failed to kill Aquino, he added.

Apart from Bautista, Lat and Martinez, the other convicted killers are: former 2Lt. Jesus Castro; and former Sgts. Arnulfo de Mesa, Rogelio Moreno, Mario Lazaga, Filomeno Miranda, Rolando de Guzman, Ernesto Mateo, Rodolfo Desolong, Cordova Estelo, Arnulfo Artates, Ruben Aquino, and Felizardo Taran.

They were convicted of double murder in September 1990, along with their commander, Brig. Gen. Luther Custodio, former Aviation Security Command chief.

Custodio died of cancer before the promulgation of his sentence.