No injustice in Teehankee release, brother insists

MANILA, Philippines – Ambassador Manuel Teehankee, Philippine Representative to the World Trade Organization, on Wednesday defended the release of his elder brother Claudio Jr from allegations that the granting of executive clemency showcased the government's bias on inmates from prominent families. In an interview over QTV’s Balitanghali, Manuel maintained there was no injustice in Claudio Teehankee Jr’s release because such was carefully studied by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. "Naintindihan natin na dapat antabayanan nang mabuti ang pantay-pantay na pag-issue ng clemency. ‘Yan ay mahirap pagdesisyunan ng Pangulo (I understand people’s vigilance on the issuance of executive clemencies. The President carefully deliberates whom to grant clemency)," Manuel said. "Ang masasabi ko lang ay (ang) pamilya ng Teehankee...hindi kami sa politika, or sa commercial or business interests. Ang paglilingkod ko lang sa gobyerno ay sa [Department of Justice and World Trade Organization] (All I can say is our family has no political, commercial, or business interests. As for me, I have only rendered my services to the Department of Justice and the World Trade Organization)," the younger Teehankee added. Manuel made the claim in reaction to the statement of Vivian Hultman – mother of Claudio’s victim, Maureen – which described the release as "the highest form of injustice" in the Philippines. Manuel said Mrs Hultman likely made the claim because she was "emotional." "Naiinitndihan namin na this is an emotional moment dahil hindi mababalik ang buhay [ni Maureen] (We understand that this is an emotional moment for the Hultman family because of Maureen’s death)," Manuel said. Manuel added that Claudio Jr had been "rehabilitated and reformed" after serving his term at the New Bilibid Prison and that he should be given a chance to show he can be a "productive member of the society." "Ang pagkakalam ko naman na under the rehabilitative system of justice, ang purpose of the penal system is to reform and rehabilitate the inmates at Bilibid. So ito ay simblo din ng pagasa na kahit convict ka na, pag na-rehabilitate at narefrorm ang isang inmate, pag lumabas ay magiging productive member of the society," he said. (As far as I know, under the rehabilitative system of justice, the purpose of the penal system is to reform and rehabilitate the inmates of Bilibid. So this [Claudio Jr’s release] is a symbol of hope, that even convicts can become productive members of the society after going through rehabilitation and reform programs.) Claudio Jr, son of the late Chief Justice Claudio Teehankee Sr, was convicted in 1995 for the murder of Roland John Chapman and Swedish-Filipino Maureen Hultman. 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. - GMANews.TV