Fernandez prosecuted, not absolved Ver and co-accused

I take vigorous exception to the erroneous and derogatory report supposedly authored by Delon Porcalla published in your June 21, 2014 issue to the effect that the top nominee for the vacant post in the Sandiganbayan, Quezon City Judge Bernelito Fernandez, is the son of the former Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Bernardo Fernandez who acquitted the late General Fabian Ver of murder charges in connection with the Aug. 21, 1983 assassination of President Aquino’s father, former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino.

In the first place, while it is true that Judge Bernelito Fernandez is my son and I was a member of the Sandiganbayan, I was never the Presiding Justice thereof. Of course, I was thereafter appointed Tanodbayan and it was during my tenure as such that the assassination case of former Senator Benigno Aquino came up for preliminary investigation by my office. And, as a result of the preliminary investigation, probable cause was found to exist and I accordingly ordered the filing of the double murder charge against then General Ver and others. It is, therefore, an unmitigated falsehood to say that I was among the magistrates who absolved Ver and many others in the 1983 double murder case of Ninoy Aquino and Rolando Galman, the alleged assassin of the former senator. On the contrary, I, thru the then Special Presecutor of the Office of the Tanodbayan, prosecuted General Ver and his co-accused for the murder of Senator Aquino. Instead, it was the First Division of the Sandiganbayan, presided over by Presiding Justice Manuel Pamaran that acquitted General Ver and his co-accused.

Accordingly, in the interest of truth and fair reporting, I respectfully demand that the necessary rectification and apology be made and published. — Justice BERNARDO P. FERNANDEZ, [email protected]