Sandiganbayan issues arrest warrant for former PAF captain in Aquino-Galman case

The Sandiganbayan ordered the arrest of a former Air Force officer implicated in the 1983 assassination of former senator Benigno Aquino Jr. and Rolando Galman.

In issuing an alias warrant of arrest, the Sandiganbayan’s Third Division allowed the petition filed by Public Attorney Office (PAO) to effect the arrest of former Air Force Capt. Felipe Valerio who is among those charged in the 22-year-old double murder case but who was able to flee the country before the conviction of the 15 accused soldiers.

The PAO led by Persida Acosta explained Valerio has to face trial in the murder case since his criminal liability has not lapsed.

The Sandiganbayan explained the issuance of the alias warrant is mandatory under the rules and there is no longer any need for the prosecution to file a comment with regard to the PAO motion.

"We are happy about this development because this case will be deemed reopened by virtue of this development. If he (Valerio) will be arrested and the case will be set for hearing, the case will be deemed reopened. But for me, I feel that it is already open," Acosta said.

Acosta expressed her confidence that the formal order will come out within days even as she conceded Valerio’s whereabouts have yet to be verified.

"We argued that time is of the essence in this case so I think the court will act swiftly on this and immediately resolve this. It’s time the killing of Sen. Aquino will be solved," Acosta added.

Acosta led the PAO in calling on the Sandiganbayan to arrest Valerio for a possible retrial of the double murder case and annul the Sept. 28, 1990 decision of the anti-graft court convicting the 15 accused soldiers.

The Supreme Court earlier denied PAO’s petition seeking a retrial of the case on newly discovered evidence.

PAO claimed the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) had sought their help to request the Sandiganbayan to hand down the alias arrest warrant on Valerio.

Acosta said the 15 convicted soldiers had requested the assistance of the VACC for a possible retrial of the double murder case, PAO said.

Although the assassination happened on Aug. 21, 1983, The PAO explained the prescriptive period for the crime did not lapse in the case of Valerio since he was able to flee the country following the murders.

Valerio was the chief of Task Force Alpha, the 10-man team tasked to secure Aquino and escort the former senator back to the military stockade at Fort Bonifacio.

After the first EDSA people power revolt that ousted strongman Ferdinand Marcos in 1986, Valerio went into hiding and worked as a pilot for a local airline in Seattle, Washington.

Although he was among those initially charged with the Aquino assassination, Valerio fled to the US before the trial formally started.

PAO also called on the Department of Justice to initiate extradition proceedings for Valerio and serve the alias warrant of arrest against him by the Philippine government in coordination with the US government.