Lawyers of soldiers in Aquino-Galman slay get death threats

Lawyers of the 15 soldiers convicted in the killing of former senator Benigno Aquino Jr. and his military-tagged assassin Rolando Galman have been placed under the protection of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) after allegedly receiving death threats because of their bid to reopen the 22-year-old double-murder case.

Public Attorneys Office (PAO) chief Persida Rueda-Acosta said the public lawyers were placed under NBI protection after receiving threats warning them against reopening the case despite the recent Supreme Court ruling that turned down their appeal.

Acosta said one of the unidentified sources of death threats warned them against reviving the murder case because it could "spoil history."

"They (the death threat sources) said we are spoiling history when, in fact, we are fixing it. Mistakes cannot be erased but they can be corrected," Acosta stressed.

Acosta said they had expected such death threats given the historic sensitivity of the case.

"This only means that we are handling something important to them," she said.

Apart from protection from the NBI, Acosta said they had also beefed up their own security as an additional measure. She refused to elaborate.

The PAO, which provides legal assistance to indigents, initiated the revival of the murder case seeking the reversal of the decision that convicted 15 soldiers implicated in the double-murder case.

Acosta led the PAO in citing new evidence showing that Galman might have been framed in the killing and ultimately answering the two-decade-old question of who masterminded the assassination of the former senator.

Acosta, however, declined to identify or reveal specific details about the new witness, stressing only that the witness "is very vital and material" to the case, having been "present on the tarmac prior to the assassination" and because he "could have witnessed the murder."

Despite the setback caused by the Supreme Court ruling, Acosta said they would not give up their search for truth and justice and vowed to "exhaust all legal, social and moral means."

It was also gathered that the witness, Senior Police Officer 4 (SPO4) Ruben Cantimbuhan, had also received threats after coming out in the open following his two decades of silence.

In an earlier interview, Cantimbuhan lamented the inconvenience endured by his family in having to move constantly for their own safety.

Cantimbuhan said his daughters had observed suspicious-looking men outside their former residence on several occasions.

He claimed to have received several phone calls from unidentified people, warning him against testifying on the appeal.

"Mahirap talaga ang lagay namin. Kung di lamang para sa hustisya at sa mga kawawang sundalong nakakulong kahit walang kasalanan, di ako magkakalakas ng loob na lumantad ng ganito (Our lives have changed for the worse. Were it not for the soldiers who have been unjustly convicted, I would not have the courage to come out in the open)," Cantimbuhan said.

Cantimbuhan was one of the security men assigned to escort Aquino from the plane. His testimony was not considered during the earlier trials because defense lawyers told him not to appear during the hearings.

PAO lawyers argued that Cantimbuhan had a good opportunity to view the actual killing of Aquino since he was driving the van parked near the stairway. The Supreme Court, in its recent ruling, downplayed Cantimbuhan’s claim as corroborative evidence.

Following the SC ruling, supporters of the 15 incarcerated soldiers, led by New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) chaplain Msgr. Robert Olaguer, began a fast as a show of moral support.

Olaguer admitted that after hearing the decision, the soldiers thought about giving up on the case before they were informed of remaining legal, moral and social options that could lead to freedom.

"It seems that no one is interested in our story anymore. Maybe we’ll just seek justice in heaven," Olaguer quoted one of the convicted soldiers as saying.

Acosta, for her part, said they are now preparing for the filing of a second motion for reconsideration.

She argued a second motion could be justified through a second trial of the case before the Sandiganbayan.

"This case is not yet closed. The Filipino people should be given the opportunity to know the truth about the killing, especially about the mastermind. And as the last bulwark of democracy, the Supreme Court must let the truth come out and not close its door," Acosta stressed.

The Supreme Court had denied with finality the appeal to reopen the case for lack of merit and vital and material evidence.

PAO’s appeal for retrial had hinged on testimonies of new witnesses and the recent findings of a credible forensics group.

The appeal included a 144-page report of forensic experts that no one among the 15 soldiers of the defunct Aviation Security Command shot Aquino on the tarmac.