2 Ninoy killers freed

Two more soldiers convicted in the killing of the late Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. and his alleged gunman Rolando Galman more than 25 years ago were released from prison yesterday.

Officials of the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) said Felizardo Taran and Rolando de Guzman have completed their respective prison terms, making them eligible for release.

Superintendent Bartolome Bustamante, head executive assistant of Bureau of Corrections Director Oscar Calderon, said President Arroyo had commuted the sentence of the two inmates from a maximum of 34 years to 29 years.

The development was transmitted to them by the Department of Justice.

“Both Taran and De Guzman are deserving to go out of prison considering the actual time they served in prison and the computation of their good conduct time allowance,” Bustamante said.

Meanwhile, Persida Rueda-Acosta, chief of the Public Attorney’s Office who facilitated the two inmates’ release, said both Taran and De Guzman are now sickly and their cases should be given immediate attention.

“Taran has been frequently ill while De Guzman suffered from stroke a number of times already,” Acosta said.

“The latter, in fact, has been staying at the Intensive Care Unit of the NBP Hospital and will be brought straight to another hospital once they leave the NBP premises,” Acosta said.

The PAO chief also thanked Mrs. Arroyo for acting on the cases of the two prisoners.

She said they just received the release order last Thursday.

Acosta said Taran and De Guzman were happy over their release. Taran’s wife, Herminia, was around when he got out of jail yesterday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the 10 others convicted of killing Aquino and Galman who remain in jail, though old and sickly, have expressed hope that they will soon be pardoned.

Capt. Romeo Bautista, 2nd Lt. Jesus Castro, Sergeants Claro Lat, Arnulfo de Mesa, Filomeno Miranda, Ernesto Mateo, Rodolfo Desolong, Ruben Aquino, Arnulfo Artates, and supposed gunman Constable Rogelio Moreno, have been waiting to be released from prison by virtue of an executive clemency.

A total of 16 soldiers were convicted in the Aquino-Galman double murder case.

Master Sergeant Pablo Martinez was freed while Sergeant Mario Lazaga, who was suffering from hypertension and diabetes, died in March 2008.

Two other convicts also died in detention.

Brig. Gen. Luther Custodio died of cancer in 1991, while Airman 1st Class Cordova Estelo was stabbed dead by another inmate in 2005.