All Aquino-Galman murder convicts must be freed - Enrile, Joker

Even as the Aquino family condemned as political vendetta the recent release from prison of two soldiers convicted of the 1983 murder of Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr., Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Sen. Joker Arroyo said it was about time those convicted for the murder of the late senator and his alleged gunman, Rolando Galman, more than 26 years ago be freed.

Enrile and Arroyo said those convicted of the Aquino-Galman double murder had paid their dues and must now be given the chance to start new lives.

They said the Aquino family and the government should run after the mastermind of the killings and not the small personalities who possibly did not know who planned and ordered the murders.

Calling it political vendetta, the Aquino family condemned “in the strongest possible terms” yesterday the decision to release from prison Felizardo Taran Jr. and Rolando de Guzman.

In a statement, Aquino’s senator-son, Benigno III, said the release of Taran and De Guzman in the pretense of mercy was a “disguise, albeit poorly, to an act of political vengeance.”

The younger Aquino said the granting of executive clemency “is an act of mercy that is bestowed on those who have shown remorse for their past crimes.”

“Taran and De Guzman have consistently refused to tell the truth about the circumstances surrounding my father’s murder, upholding fabricated story upon fabricated story in their attempt to prevent justice from taking its course. Twenty-six years after they murdered my father, we have not been given the truth that would have exemplified genuine remorse on their part,” the senator said.

“It is difficult to grasp why these men were pardoned and released ahead of many others who were charged with lesser offenses but are still languishing in jail. As such, we cannot but point to petty vindictiveness towards our family, which has consistently spoken out against this administration’s wrongdoings, as the sole motive behind this recent exercise of executive clemency,” he added.

Enrile said former President Corazon Aquino should have made it a priority during her term to find out the truth about her husband’s murder.

He said Mrs. Aquino had all the intelligence units under her command and should have taken advantage of them.

“The soldiers are just the lowly workers,” Enrile said.

Arroyo also said it was quite unfair that the mastermind of the killings was unscathed after all these years. “For all we know, (the mastermind) is just walking around and will never be charged,” Arroyo said over radio station dwIZ.

“After all this time, maybe they really have nothing to say.

Otherwise they would have said it in exchange of their freedom, right? They should have said it if they really had knowledge (of the mastermind),” Arroyo said.

Arroyo said the two were released on good behavior and owed nothing to the government.

“They were released not because of kindness of anyone but because they earned their release. You know our justice system is not working well because big-time prisoners get released immediately,” Arroyo said.

Housed at PAO office

Meantime, Taran and De Guzman are now being housed at the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) in Quezon City after they were released from prison Friday.

Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta, PAO chief, said both Taran and De Guzman are now staying in a room at their office following their release from the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) early Friday evening.

“We just decided to bring them to our office. Our four nurses who are being supervised by PAO doctor Erwin Erfe are taking care of them and are monitoring their health condition,” Acosta said, adding that both are in stable condition.

“A check-up done on their blood pressure showed the two former inmates are doing well,” Acosta said.

Taran and De Guzman are now weak and sickly.

Taran, 62, is suffering from hypertension, diabetes and has weak lungs, while de Guzman has suffered brain stroke four times already.

“We will, for the meantime, monitor them and wait until their health conditions stabilize. If needed, we’ll bring them to a hospital,” Acosta said.

President Arroyo commuted the sentence of the two inmates from a maximum of 34 years to 29 years.

Citing the actual time the two served in prison and the computation of their good conduct time allowance, NBP officials said Taran and De Guzman deserve to finally get out of jail.

Acosta likewise expressed hope that the 10 remaining soldiers in jail will soon be freed. “They are all deserving. They are all qualified for release. We are just awaiting the order from Malacañang,” she said.

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 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. –With Rhodina Villanueva