Senators slam release of brains in Cochise-Beebom slays

MANILA, Philippines - Senators yesterday condemned President Arroyo’s decision to grant executive clemency to the mastermind of the gruesome killing of University of the Philippines graduates Ernesto “Cochise” Bernabe II and Ana Lourdes “Beebom” Castaños in 1990.

Sen. Loren Legarda said the President did a “terrible, terrible thing in granting the clemency.”

“What kind of Pandora’s box is this that President Arroyo is unleashing on our people in the 11th hour of her administration? Her letting loose convicted rapists, killers and those with horrific debts to civilized society is unpardonable,” Legarda said.

She said the President must be more circumspect in granting pardon or executive clemency because her “pardon-granting binge” is already undermining the people’s faith in the justice system.

Opposition Sen. Francis Escudero called for more transparency in the series of processes that lead to a grant of executive clemency or presidential pardon to convicted criminals.

“While the power to pardon and commute sentences is absolute, it should be exercised with utmost transparency in order to afford all interested parties the opportunity to be heard and their position and opinion be considered before the President decides,” he said.

The senators issued the statement in response to the grant of executive clemency to Rodolfo Manalili, the mastermind of the Cochise-Beebom double murder case.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan said the decision to grant clemency to Manalili is deplorable.

“The murders of Cochise and Beebom were gruesome and totally reprehensible. To grant clemency to a convict who had two persons murdered for the simple reason that the law allows for it is victimizing the murdered victims and their families twice over,” he said.

He asked how the President would feel “if her son or daughter were also victims like Cochise and Beebom?”

Pangilinan said the clemency sends “an awful signal to ordinary citizens that the judicial system cannot be relied upon to ensure that those guilty of heinous offenses are effectively punished for their unforgivable, dastardly acts.”

He also questioned the President’s seemingly “murderers clemency spree,” and asked if there were deeper stories behind recent commutations of sentences to convicts.

“Cochise was a close friend and he was a high school and college bosom buddy. Their families have relayed to me their fears that the release of the convicted killer may place their lives at risk,” he said.

According to Pangilinan, Manalili was found guilty of engaging hired killers to eliminate his foes.

“What guarantee do they have that he won’t hire new killers to avenge his conviction? We are outraged by this grant of clemency,” he said.