Hultmans are hypocrites who must 'jump into lake' - DOJ

(Updated) MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine justice secretary on Thursday continued his tirade against the parents of slain teenager Maureen Hultman, describing them as "hypocrites" whom he advised to "jump into the lake." The remark was made by Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez amid mounting adverse public opinion against the grant of presidential clemency on Maureen's convicted killer, Claudio Teehankee Jr. It was aired over GMA's 24 Oras. In that interview, he continued to defend President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s decision to pardon Teehankee Jr, last week. “His (pardon) was not done in anticipation of any political deal with the Teehankee family. There is no political motivation," Gonzalez said. He was reacting to accusations that the pardon was given to curry political favor from the family of Teehankee, son of the late former Chief Justice Claudio Teehankee Sr, as alleged by the Hultmans and other critics of the Arroyo government. President Arroyo approved the granting of executive clemency to Teehankee by virtue of a letter dated October 2 to the Office of the NBP Director. Teehankee had been incarcerated since 1991. Gonzalez insisted that Teehankee deserves the pardon since he had already sufficiently served time in jail and that he displayed good behavior inside. Teehankee, in 1992, was convicted of murder for the death of Maureen, then 17 years old; of homicide for the death of Roland John Chapman, 21; and of frustrated murder for the wounding of Jussi Leino, 24. Gonzalez denied the Hultmans’ claim that the granting of the executive clemency violated existing rules since they were not consulted about it. The DOJ chief pointed out that the Hultmans and the Teehankees had entered into a settlement of civil indemnity, stating that upon the payment of the damages, the Hultmans will have no objection to the application of Teehankee for executive clemency. "So they cannot say that they don't know that Teehankee will be released. They are hypocrites," he said. “If they can't accept it, they can jump into the lake... very wide naman ang North Sea," he added. Interviewed in Sweden while visiting Maureen's grave, Vivian, the victim's mother, said the pardon was given in a "sneaky and hasty" way. "It was done in a sneaky and hasty way and without following procedures... You think you got justice because the murderer was convicted and then suddenly you try to live a normal life, you move here in Sweden, and now this happens again," she said in the interview done by reporter Connie Sison and aired over GMA's 24 Oras. The Hultmans have migrated to Stockholm, Sweden since Maureen’s killing. Mrs Hultman however said she bears no grudge against Teehankee and his family. "I cannot be angry at him or his family because they have done nothing wrong. They went (through) the right process," she said. "On the other side, the people who worked on this, that is what I'm so upset about," she added. - GMANews.TV