'Rolito Go's kidnap story a zarzuela'

MANILA, Philippines - The family of road rage victim Eldon Maguan yesterday described convicted murderer Rolito Go’s “abduction and release” story as a poorly written “zarzuela.”

Eliot Maguan said Go’s claim that his family could have had a hand in his kidnapping is “purely a product of a wild imagination.”

“He’s (Go) very good at concocting stories. We don’t know where he gets his theories,” Eliot said.

Eliot made the statement after Go, in a press conference at the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters in Camp Crame, suggested the Maguan family might have a hand in his supposed kidnapping.

Eliot said his family is stressed by Go’s latest “zarzuela” as he urged the government to put a stop to the convicted murderer’s antics.

Eliot said he had to rush their 82-year-old mother, Rosario, to the hospital for a thorough medical check-up after she learned her son’s killer had disappeared from prison.

“We have suffered long and hard over the pain of losing Eldon and the ordeal of getting justice for him. This should have ended when the Supreme Court upheld Go’s conviction. But what happened after was a long running telenovela consisting of special treatments, parole hearings, housing privileges, minimum security, etc.,” said Eliot, the youngest of Maguan’s four siblings.

The Maguan family urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) to strictly implement the sentence imposed on Go.

The Pasig City regional trial court (RTC) sentenced Go to 40 years imprisonment for the killing of Eldon, a La Salle Engineering student, in a road rage incident in Greenhills, San Juan City in 1991.

“He (Go) committed a heinous capital crime so he should be inside the maximum security prison cell. He must be stripped of all benefits he used to enjoy and must be treated the same way all those who committed heinous crimes should be treated,” Eliot said.

He called Go’s behavior a “mockery of justice.”

Go first escaped from detention at the Rizal provincial jail in 1994 and was re-arrested at a piggery farm in Pampanga in 1996.

After Go’s latest escape, Eliot said the DOJ must look into his evasion of sentence and file appropriate charges.

The New Bilibid Prisons has declared Go an escapee and under the law, he should be detained at the maximum security cell for six months instead of in the minimum security cell, Eliot said.

“Our family expects that after this charade, he (Go) will be made to answer for his actions. We beg the government to end our suffering. Give us justice,” he said.

Eliot gave a press briefing yesterday in Mandaluyong City almost the same time the PNP presented Go before the media in Camp Crame.