Vizcaya mom pins hopes on Lim's promise of justice

SOLANO, Nueva Vizcaya - With former Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim heading the Department of the Interior and Local Government, hope springs eternal for a 49-year-old mother that she will finally get justice for her son who was kidnapped, tortured and burned to death in 1998.

Last year, in her desperation on the slowness of the trial, Amelita Que approached the former police general, who hosted the TV show Katapat, regarding the case of her son, Allan, who was murdered on March 13, 1998 by men allegedly identified with a prominent family in the province.

At that time, "ordinary citizen" Lim assured the grieving mother that her efforts would not go to waste since he would ensure that her son's case would be given full attention by the courts.

Mrs. Que still vividly recalls how Lim comforted her with the assurance that he would act on the celebrated case. "Don't worry, I will personally look into your son's case," Que quoted him as telling her.

With Lim now at the helm of the DILG, Mrs. Que is now more hopeful than ever that she will get justice for her son.

"I do believe that justice will now reign under his leadership as DILG secretary," she said.

Mrs. Que, a mother of four with Allan as the second eldest, has been disheartened by the slow pace of the trial. Although some of the suspects in her son's brutal slay have been arraigned, the wheels of justice have seemingly slowed down because of the police's failure to arrest the prime suspects.

Of the eight suspects, only three - Francisco Viernes, Gilbert Manzano and Fernando Agpasa - are now behind bars. The rest - barangay captain Celso Salunat of Barangay Uddiawan, Emil Sara, Virgilio Garcia, Rogelio Barroga and Roger Pascual - are said to be roaming scot-free in the province.

The suspects are accused of conspiring in the kidnapping, torture and burning to death of then 19-year-old Allan, whose son was only seven days old when he was killed.

Allan's burnt and mutilated body was found a day after his abduction in a vacant grave at the Uddiawan cemetery, about five kilometers from this commercial town.

Allan's personal belongings, including a wallet and a ring bearing his wife's name, were the only initial links to his identity.

"It has been very painful for us seeing my son's murderers still roaming around as if they did nothing against the law," bewailed Mrs. Que, a market vendor, who until now has no clues why her son was slain.

She claimed that local police authorities are apparently not making any efforts to apprehend the other suspects despite a long-standing warrant for their arrest.

The case got complicated when the prime suspect, Salunat, brother of losing congressional candidate and top-notch lawyer Ernesto Salunat, was reported to have died on the run somewhere in Cavite in February last year.

Salunat's family, however, has yet to present to the court a copy of his death certificate, prompting Judge Jose Rosales to doubt the veracity of the report of his death.

Because of the slow action on her son's case, Mrs. Que approached Lim who, in turn, introduced her to Supreme Court Administrator Alberto Benipayo.

The High Court then directed Rosales to explain why insufficient time was being given to the case. Rosales, known here as a "hanging judge," decided last November to inhibit himself.

"This (act of inhibition) is to preclude any doubt that, in case I acquit the accused of the crimes against them, my actions were done to spite Mrs. Que for filing a case against me with the Supreme Court," Rosales said.

Lim showed interest in the case when he, prior to his appointment, personally appealed to Chief Superintendent Thompson Lantion, Cagayan Valley police director, to facilitate the arrest of the other suspects.

In a note he wrote on the back of his calling card which Mrs. Que, in turn, handed to Lantion, Lim asked the police director to "look with utmost concern into Que's complaint and to work for the immediate arrest of the suspects."