Teehankee release mark of high-level ‘corruption’ - Hultman

MANILA, Philippines – Anders Hultman, adoptive father of 1991 murder victim Maureen, on Tuesday said there was “corruption" involved in the granting of executive clemency for convicted killer Claudio Teehankee Jr. In an interview with GMA’s News desk, Mr Hultman admitted he felt Malacañang’s decision to free Teehankee was kept secret from his family. “According to the law, we should be advised. We were not notified (about the release) by friends in the Philippines who called us and sent emails to us. I've got so many emails the last couple of hours from the Philippines," Mr Hultman said. He added: “I think this (killer’s release) is a complete violation of the law. It's unfortunate, I'm sorry to say, it's corruption at the highest level of the country." Mr Hultman noted that before the Arroyo administration, two previous governments didn’t touch Teehankee’s case. "President (Fidel) Ramos didn't touch this, President (Joseph) Estrada didn't touch, and now (President) Arroyo, she secretly and sneakily released him (Teehankee)," Hultman said. He said, he and his wife Vivian (Maureen’s mom) were “shocked, surprised and angry" upon learning about the news that their daughter’s murderer is now a free man. “I didn't know what to say… a lot of things that have been sort of dormant for such a long time are suddenly up like it just happened…. And it’s very difficult to handle really, it’s like it all happened yesterday," he added. Mr Hultman also branded as complete lie the earlier statement made by executive secretary Eduardo Ermita that they were informed as early as 1999 about the possible granting of executive clemency to Teehankee. “It’s a complete lie! We haven't been advised with anything. We know that the family (Teehankee) has appealed for his release but that has no legal bearing in terms of releasing him without telling us that the government was considering so. The Executive Secretary again, I'm sorry to say this, is lying to the public," Mr Hultman added. When asked if the Hultmans felt betrayed by Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez who recommended to President Arroyo the executive clemency for Teehankee, Mr Hultman said: “No apparently he's a different person. At that time he was enthusiastic. I felt he was a person who would fight for his people and fight for the law to be applied in such a way that it was followed by everybody." “Now he seems to be indifferent otherwise this would not have passed through," he added. Only 1 of 292 In a press conference Tuesday, Press Secretary Jesus Dureza stressed that Teehankee is just one of the 292 prisoners who were granted presidential pardons by President Arroyo this year. He maintained that Teehankee's case, like the other 291 of which some come from poor families, went under rigorous review. The spokesman said Teehankee had already languished in jail for 15 years and after displaying good behavior, and an earlier commutation of his sentence of reclusion perpetua (20 to 40 years) and reclusion temporal (12 to 20 years). Dureza chided critics and those with "malicious minds" for spinning tales about the clemency and asked media to report the other prisoners who were granted executive clemency. "Unfortunately, or fortunately for us, we should not be taken for a ride by those who have other ways of viewing this. Mr. Teehankee is entitled, as everyone else is, to avail of the rules and regulations under the Board of Paroles and Pardon," the Palace spokesman said. Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita maintained that the grant of clemency is a presidential prerogative provided in Constitution, which everyone should respect and accept. Ermita noted that Mrs Arroyo had granted clemency since she has given similar pardon to 285 persons in 2005, 389 in 2006 and 465 in 2007. "Mr. Teehankee should not be treated separately, except for that fact that he happens to belong to a prominent name…As of today, 292 including Mr. Teehankee (have been pardoned). So there is really nothing very special about it, aside from the fact that he is a prominent personality," he said. "There was no intention to make a palusot out of that act of release on midnight of October 3," Ermita added. - Fidel Jimenez, GMANews.TV