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ONE of
the 14 soldiers who was convicted of killing of former
senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. has been granted
conditional pardon by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Pablo
Salomon Martinez, a former sergeant, was released
yesterday from the National Bilibid Prisons (NBP)
through the assistance of Public Attorney’s Office
chief, lawyer Percida Acosta.
Martinez,
now a born again Christian pastor, was among the 14
persons sentenced to double life imprisonment by the
Sandiganbayan for the death of Aquino, and Rolando
Galman on August 21, 1983.
Martinez
and his fellow convicts have been insisting that it was
Galman who shot Aquino in the head while at the tarmac
of the former
Manila International
Airport, now the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
In an
interview with mediamen,
Martinez
insisted that businessman Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco
was the one who ordered Aquino’s assassination.
Cojuangco has denied the claim.
The
Public Attorney's Office has been seeking the release of
the 14 convicts, saying they have been in prison for 24
years and were now entitled to executive clemency.
The
government said
Martinez’
released is in line with its policy to extend
humanitarian considerations to inmates 70 years old and
above.
In a
statement released to media, Senator Benigno “Noynoy”
Aquino said he hopes that the pardon of
Martinez
“is not a vengeful act against our family as we continue
to stand firmly in holding this government accountable
for its actions.”
“I am
not against the granting of pardon to persons who
deserve it. However, people who have refused to accept
their guilt and have shown no contrition for the crime
they committed do not deserve pardon,” Aquino said.
“On
November 27, we will be commemorating the birth
anniversary of my father. This decision by the
government is not the way to honor and pay tribute to
the sacrifices of a hero who gave his life for his
country and fought for the freedoms that we now enjoy,”
he added. (With R. Cruz Jr.) |
