Arroyo frees son of ex-chief justice in Hultman killing

(Update) MANILA, Philippines - After serving 13 years, convicted killer Claudio Teehankee Jr. was ordered released from the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City last week by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez on Monday said Mrs Arroyo approved the granting of executive clemency to Teehankee by virtue of a letter dated October 2 to the Office of the NBP Director. Gonzalez said Teehankee walked out of prison a free man last October 2 for “good behavior." He has been detained since 1991 for the murder of Roland John Chapman and Swedish-Filipino Maureen Hultman. Teehankee is the son of the late former Chief Justice Claudio Teehankee Sr and brother of former Justice undersecretary Manuel Teehankee, an Arroyo appointee. Teehankee was sentenced to one count of reclusion perpetua and two counts of prison mayor to reclusion temporal, which carry a jail term of 20 to 40 years and 12 to 20 years, respectively. “The President considered his (Teehankee) good behavior as enough reason to grant him clemency," Gonzalez said. The killing of Hultman - who was shot when she was 16 but later died at 17 - and then 21-year-old Chapman was among the "heinous" cases that fueled calls for the re-imposition of the death penalty. In March 2006, Teehankee was rushed to a hospital after a fellow inmate stabbed him in the maximum security compound of NBP. Gonzalez said Teehankee was already entitled to executive pardon since his reclusion perpetua and reclusion temporal sentences have already been commuted by the President earlier. Gonzalez further said that Teehankee’s remaining years at the NBP may already be pardoned since he has served the minimum period of his sentence to entitle him for executive clemency. “I think that he is entitled to it. He has already done time in jail. Matagal na siyang nag-apply for executive clemency. (He has been applying for executive clemency for a long time)," he said. No rules violated The DOJ chief added that the granting of executive clemency to Teehankee was in accordance with court rules. “Everything went by the rules here. His records have been reviewed by the Board of Pardons and Parole before a recommendation was given to the President," Gonzalez said. Court records showed that Chapman, Hultman, and another friend, 21-year-old Jussi Leino, were coming home in Dasmarinas Village, Makati from a party in the wee hours of July 13, 1991 when they were accosted by Teehankee who asked for identification. When Chapman - who was described in earlier news reports as the son of a US Embassy communications officer - inquired what Teehankee wanted, Teehankee shot Chapman, killing him instantly. Teehankee then pointed his gun at Leino and told him to sit down on the pavement. Teehankee then turned to Hultman whom he also ordered to sit on the pavement. He then shot Leino who was hit in the jaw. He then fired at Hultman, who sustained a gunshot wound in the temple. Teehankee then left. Leino survived the rampage while Hultman died Oct 17, 1991 or two months later in hospital due to brain hemorrhages caused by the bullet fragments. Teehankee was arrested later on the testimony of several witnesses. His conviction by the Makati Regional Trial Court was upheld on October 6, 1995 by the Supreme Court in a decision penned by now Chief Justice Reynato Puno. Not consulted Lawyer Dennis Villa Ignacio, lead public prosecutor in the case, meanwhile expressed surprise over the development. In a phone interview, Villa Ignacio said he was not consulted on Teehankee’s commutation. “Normally dapat kinokonsulta ang prosecutor and the family of the aggrieved party (Normally, the prosecutor and the family of the aggrieved party are consulted during commutations)," he said. He narrated how he opposed - when consulted - the granting of pardon for Rolito Go, who was charged for the murder of Eldon Maguan during a traffic altercation in July 1991. He also said that the existing policy was that convicts who are 70 years old are the ones who should be pardoned. He said Teehankee was not yet 70. - GMANews.TV