Lawmaker wants Narvasa cited for role in Aquino slay probe

MANILA, Philippines - Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo yesterday called on the government to issue a special citation for the late chief justice Andres Narvasa for his crucial role in exposing the attempt of the Marcos regime to cover up the assassination of former Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. in 1983.

As the general counsel of the five-man commission that probed the Aquino assassination, Narvasa laid down and pursued the legal theory and strategy that the murder was a military conspiracy, Castelo said in a statement.

Narvasa guided the fact-finding commission to “an outstanding legal work that history has proven to be correct and profound in uncovering the details of what was once described as the ‘crime of the century’ and an ‘Asian Tragedy’.”

Castelo said that through adept sleuthing, Narvasa debunked the massive cover-up, which the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos undertook, and established the truth behind the Aquino murder.

“As a jurist in the post-Marcos era, Narvasa wrote outstanding decisions that have become part of our jurisprudence and guided the Supreme Court during turbulent times,” the lawmaker added.

As dean of the University of Santo Tomas College of Civil Law, he was also instrumental in producing a number of outstanding lawyers.

Castelo said he mourned the passing of Narvasa, whom he described as “an outstanding jurist, academic, lawyer and patriot.”

“The nation owes a lot to Mr. Narvasa who, as a jurist in the post-Marcos era, worked a lot for our restored democracy. Mr. Narvasa will be remembered. He is a patriot, who commands our respect and deserves a hero’s burial,” Castelo said

“Even at the height of the Marcos authoritarian rule, Mr. Narvasa represented the conscience of the nation by sticking to the time-honored principle of rule of law. Mr. Narvasa spoke for the side of reason and principle,” the legislator added.