Palace: No special treatment for Jalosjos' absolute pardon request
Malacañang will not give any special treatment to convicted rapist Romeo Jalosjos' application for absolute pardon, a Palace official said Friday.
Press Secretary Cerge Remonde assured that Jalosjos' application for absolute pardon, which he said the Office of the President has yet to receive, will go through normal procedures.
The Palace has also not yet received the recommendations of the Board of Pardon and Parole (BPP) and the Department of Justice (DOJ), said Remonde.
"Wala pang nakakarating na recommendations galing sa Board of Pardons and Parole. So because wala pang nakarating na rekomendasyon e hindi pa natin ma-aksyunan dito sa Palasyo (We have not received recommendations from the Board of Pardons and Parole so the Palace cannot act on the application yet)," he said.
The Palace official denied that Malacañang endorsed Jalosjos' application, saying that in granting pardons, clemencies and commutations of sentences, the president's duty is merely “ministerial" because recommendations and approval of applications come from the BPP and the Department of Justice.
"We vehemently deny that we are endorsing such application. We are treating the application of Mr. Jalosjos like any other applications," said Remonde.
"It will be decided, or the case will solely be, based on the merits and any discussion on that right now will be speculative because wala pa tayong basehan dahil hindi pa nga nakarating dito sa opisina ng Pangulo," he said.
Jalosjos, a former Zamboanga del Norte congressman, was accused of raping an 11-year-old girl in 1996. He was arrested Jan. 17, 1997 in Bagac, Bataan and was detained at the Makati City Jail.
In December 1997, the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch convicted Jalosjos of statutory rape and sentenced the former lawmaker to two life terms. The Supreme Court affirmed his conviction in 2001 and 2002. [See: The conviction of Romeo Jalosjos]
In mid-2007, the former congressman's sentence was commuted to 16 years, three months and three days. In March 2009, however, he was released from prison after serving only 13 years because of his good conduct time allowance. [See: Jalosjos freed after 13 years in prison]
An absolute pardon will purportedly restore a convicted person's rights to vote and be elected into public office.
Jalosjos, who was only removed from the House of Representatives during his second term when the Supreme Court decided with finality on his conviction in 2002, reportedly applied for absolute pardon last September 30. - with reports from Johanna Camille Sisante, GMANews.TV
Press Secretary Cerge Remonde assured that Jalosjos' application for absolute pardon, which he said the Office of the President has yet to receive, will go through normal procedures.
The Palace has also not yet received the recommendations of the Board of Pardon and Parole (BPP) and the Department of Justice (DOJ), said Remonde.
"Wala pang nakakarating na recommendations galing sa Board of Pardons and Parole. So because wala pang nakarating na rekomendasyon e hindi pa natin ma-aksyunan dito sa Palasyo (We have not received recommendations from the Board of Pardons and Parole so the Palace cannot act on the application yet)," he said.
The Palace official denied that Malacañang endorsed Jalosjos' application, saying that in granting pardons, clemencies and commutations of sentences, the president's duty is merely “ministerial" because recommendations and approval of applications come from the BPP and the Department of Justice.
"We vehemently deny that we are endorsing such application. We are treating the application of Mr. Jalosjos like any other applications," said Remonde.
"It will be decided, or the case will solely be, based on the merits and any discussion on that right now will be speculative because wala pa tayong basehan dahil hindi pa nga nakarating dito sa opisina ng Pangulo," he said.
Jalosjos, a former Zamboanga del Norte congressman, was accused of raping an 11-year-old girl in 1996. He was arrested Jan. 17, 1997 in Bagac, Bataan and was detained at the Makati City Jail.
In December 1997, the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch convicted Jalosjos of statutory rape and sentenced the former lawmaker to two life terms. The Supreme Court affirmed his conviction in 2001 and 2002. [See: The conviction of Romeo Jalosjos]
In mid-2007, the former congressman's sentence was commuted to 16 years, three months and three days. In March 2009, however, he was released from prison after serving only 13 years because of his good conduct time allowance. [See: Jalosjos freed after 13 years in prison]
An absolute pardon will purportedly restore a convicted person's rights to vote and be elected into public office.
Jalosjos, who was only removed from the House of Representatives during his second term when the Supreme Court decided with finality on his conviction in 2002, reportedly applied for absolute pardon last September 30. - with reports from Johanna Camille Sisante, GMANews.TV
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