Testifying before a Senate Committee that was looking into the circumstances of the Manero pardon, Justice Undersecretary Ramon Liwag said that he would ask Malacañang to recall the conditional pardon it had granted Norberto Manero, Jr. He said that Manero had concealed from the Board of Pardons that he still had kidnapping and double murder case pending in Cotabato. It is noteworthy that the Senate Committee headed by Sen. Renato Cayetano subpoenaed Manero to appear in the hearing and Manero did not show up. Manero's supervising parole officer, Estrellita Abellera, said that she has no idea of Manero's whereabouts. All she has is his telephone number. This gives the public an idea of how the authorities keep watch of prisoners who have been granted conditional pardons.
President Estrada admitted that he had unwittingly signed Manero's pardon. Now, he can correct that error by simply following Undersecretary Liwag's recommendation for recall. As far as we are concerned, the Board of Pardons had no sound reasons for recommending Manero's pardon. First, he was a psychopath. Manero did not receive any psychiatric treatment while serving in prison. What basis could they have to recommend the pardon of a psychopathic killer?
There are three reasons why our courts send criminals to prison. First: To punish the crime. Second: To rehabilitate the criminal. Third: To protect society. In recommending Manero's pardon, the Board of Pardon made a mockery of all three. Manero was convicted of an atrocious crime -- muder and cannibalism. He was not psychologically rehabilitated. So now, he is again a threat to society. It is obvious that some people who, as we said earlier, walk in the corridors of power manipulated Manero's pardon. He reportedly has been riding in a Mercedes Benz since his release and lodges in expensive hotels. He has even ignored a Senate subpoena. If all this is not enough to recall his pardon, then, we must as well do away with the Board of Pardon and withdraw the Presidential privilege of commuting sentences and granting pardons. Their purpose was to give rehabilitated prisoners a second chance to be useful members of society.
President Estrada said that he unknowingly signed Manero's pardon. Undersecretary Liwag is now officially recommending the recall of said pardon. We hope that President Estrada knowingly approves his recommendation.