Killer of US intel man sees freedom with Balikatan

Amid the ongoing Balikatan exercises, the convicted assassin of United States intelligence officer Col. James Rowe is now more hopeful than ever of being released after 13 years in jail.

Juanito "Ka Juaning" Itaas, now 37, may be freed before the end of this month.

Itaas said he expects the Board of Pardons and Parole (BPP) to act this month on his request for jail commutation for the April 21, 1989 killing of the former Joint US Military Assistance Group (JUSMAG) official.

Itaas and another supposed member of the New People’s Army’s urban hit squad Alex Boncayao Brigade, Donato Continente, were convicted for the murder of Rowe and the wounding of his Filipino driver Joaquin Binoya.

The Supreme Court in August last year affirmed the life imprisonment sentence of Itaas but downgraded that of Continente to a term of 12 to 14 years, reclassifying him as a mere accessory. Itaas was the supposed gunman.

"Part of the US condition in not blocking my long overdue release is for the Philippine government to allow the return of the US bases. With the VFA (Visiting Forces Agreement) and the Balikatan exercises, I think that would satisfy them," Itaas said citing "reliable informants."

The US government had long been blocking the release of Rowe’s killers since the Ramos administration began giving clemency to political prisoners.

Under normal conditions Itaas would have long been released had the government acted on his request for commutation. Once downgraded to a more definite prison term which could be no more than 20 years, Itaas would easily qualify for parole after serving out one-third of that, he said.

In the case of Continente, 39, he is bound to be released by next year after serving out his full prison term. With the parole, pardon and commutation system, prisoners do not usually serve their full sentence.

Continente also filed an application for parole with the BPP, for which he has long qualified. He likewise expects the board to act on his request within the month.

Itaas and Continente were arrested and positively identified by a female witness, Miriam Zulueta, as the ones who shot and killed Rowe near the Jusmag office in Quezon City.

To this day Itaas has denied any involvement in the crime.