Convicted killers of Ninoy, Galman renew appeal to re-open case

MANILA, Philippines – The convicted killers of Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. and his military-tagged assassin Ronaldo Galman have again offered to name the mastermind of the 25-year-old murder case.

Their spiritual adviser, Fr. Robert Reyes told The STAR the 12 soldiers, who are serving time at the national penitentiary, are ready to testify in court if the case is reopened.

“They are still willing to tell the truth and everything they know about what happened in that tarmac on August 21, 1983,” he said.

“They want to claim what little is left of their freedom. The truth is all they have left since everything they had were taken away for a crime they did not do.

“They believe that it’s never too late to tell the truth even after 25 years of unjust imprisonment.”

The Hong Kong-based Reyes said the Aquino-Galman case could still be reopened if the government, the Supreme Court and the Aquino family would be open to new evidence and testimonies.

“I hope there will be change of heart of the family of Ninoy,” he said.

“We have to understand that these soldiers owe the Filipino people the truth behind the case and the Aquino family is not the Filipino people.

“If they don’t like what they would know as it will probably debunk all theories in EDSA I, then I’m sorry but that’s the truth.”

On the other hand, Chief Public Attorney Persida Rueda-Acosta said their focus is on the release of the 12 convicted killers who are still in prison.

“They are all ill – either with high blood pressure or diabetes,” she told The STAR. “They have been qualified for pardon since 1996 so we are working on this.”

Acosta is optimistic of getting the soldiers released on humanitarian grounds, especially after President Arroyo granted executive clemency to one of them, former sergeant Pablo Martinez, in November last year.

The maximum prison term for reclusion perpetua is 30 years, and the soldiers have already completed 32-33 years of their sentence, she added.

The soldiers still in prison are former captain Romeo Bautista, former first lieutenant Jesus Castro, and former sergeants Claro Lat, Ernesto Mateo, Rodolfo Desolong, Filomeno Miranda, Arnulfo Artates, Rolando de Guzman, Felizardo Taran, Arnulfo de Mesa, Rogelio Moreno, and Ruben Aquino.

Former sergeants Cordova Estelo and Mario Lazaga died in prison.

When Martinez visited the other soldiers last Thursday, he reiterated his appeal to the Aquino family to give genuine forgiveness to his colleagues who are still languishing in prison and allow them to be pardoned by President Arroyo.

“Pamilyang Aquino po, muli humihingi ako ng kapatawaran (I am asking forgiveness from the Aquino family, not for my colleagues because they are not at fault, but for myself),” he said in a television interview.

“It was I who sinned. What I am asking in behalf of my colleagues is that they be freed,” he added in Filipino.

Martinez, who was freed in 2007 when he reached the age of 70, said he was the escort of Galman.

His sin was escorting Galman to the tarmac of the then Manila International Airport so Galman could accomplish his mission of killing Aquino, he added.

De Guzman, another convict who claimed that he gunned down Galman after he supposedly shot Aquino, tearfully recounted the murder on Aug. 21, 1983.

“Ginawa ko ’yung trabaho ko (I did my job),” he said. “Akala ko medalya. Pagkakulong pala (I thought I would get a medal. But I was imprisoned).”

De Guzman has been bedridden for a year after suffering from three strokes.

Reyes celebrated Mass for the soldiers during last Thursday’s commemoration of the 25th anniversary of Aquino’s murder.