PNoy pardons ailing British national, commutes sentences of 4 Pinoys
A sick British national and four Filipinos incarcerated for years have received probably the best Christmas gift from President Benigno Aquino III this year.
On Dec. 21, or five days before Christmas, Aquino signed the conditional pardon with voluntary deportation of 49-year-old William Burton, who was born with thalidomide-damaged arms and whose health is already deteriorating.
Three days later, or on Dec. 23, Aquino commuted the sentences of Antonio Aure, Alvani Salasa, Aurelio Nartatez and Eddy Paneza, whose cases ranged from homicide to illegal fishing.
Burton
At a press briefing on Monday, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the document for Burton’s conditional pardon has been transmitted to Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, the director of the Bureau of Corrections, and to the Board of Pardons and Parole.
Burton, arrested in 1992 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport for trying to smuggle marijuana out of the country, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 116 after being found guilty of drug trafficking. The verdict was affirmed by the Supreme Court.
The conditions set for Burton’s pardon were:
Aquino, meanwhile, commuted the life sentence of Aure to a definite prison term of 25 years. Aure was convicted by the regional trial court of Dapa, Surigao del Norte of illegal fishing with the use of explosives in violation of Presidential Decree 1058.
Salasa’s sentence of life imprisonment, on the other hand, was commuted to a definite prison term of 27 years. He was convicted by the RTC of Tagum, Davao of robbery with homicide.
Aquino commuted Nartatez’s sentence of indeterminate prison term of 12 years and one day to 20 years and to pay a fine of P300,000 to an indeterminate prison term of seven years to 12 years and to pay a fine of 300,000. Nartatez was convicted by the RTC of Candon City, Ilocos Sur for a drug-related case.
Paneza’s life sentence, meanwhile, was commuted to a definite prison term of 25 years and to pay civil indemnity of P50,000. He was convicted of violating P.D. 532 or highway robbery by the RTC of Iloilo City and affirmed by the Supreme Court.
‘Abadilla 5’?
Asked if there will be more commutations of sentences to be signed by the President before the year ends, Valte said she cannot answer the question. "I will have to check kung mayroon pa pong mga ibang nakasalang," she told reporters.
She said she is also checking the progress of the paperwork on the case of Abadilla 5.
De Lima earlier said she has sent President Aquino a memorandum on the recommendation of the Board of Pardons and Parole for the commutation of the life sentences of the Abadilla 5.
Lenido Lumanog, Cesar Fortuna, Joel de Jesus, Rameses de Jesus and Augusto Santos were convicted of killing martial law enforcer Col. Rolando Abadilla.
As early as September this year, the BPP transmitted to the Office of the President its recommendation to have the life sentences of the five convicts reduced to 16 years each. — KBK, GMA News
On Dec. 21, or five days before Christmas, Aquino signed the conditional pardon with voluntary deportation of 49-year-old William Burton, who was born with thalidomide-damaged arms and whose health is already deteriorating.
Three days later, or on Dec. 23, Aquino commuted the sentences of Antonio Aure, Alvani Salasa, Aurelio Nartatez and Eddy Paneza, whose cases ranged from homicide to illegal fishing.
Burton
At a press briefing on Monday, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the document for Burton’s conditional pardon has been transmitted to Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, the director of the Bureau of Corrections, and to the Board of Pardons and Parole.
Burton, arrested in 1992 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport for trying to smuggle marijuana out of the country, was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 116 after being found guilty of drug trafficking. The verdict was affirmed by the Supreme Court.
The conditions set for Burton’s pardon were:
- he shall pay a fine of P20,000 imposed upon him by the Pasay court;
- he shall voluntarily agree to be deported, never to return to the Philippines—he being an undesirable alien;
- upon release from the national penitentiary, he shall be turned over to the custody of the Bureau of Immigration for proper disposition and lastly;
- he should shoulder the transportation expenses which will be incurred in his trip and must take the first available means of transportation to Ruffort Yorkshire, England.
Aquino, meanwhile, commuted the life sentence of Aure to a definite prison term of 25 years. Aure was convicted by the regional trial court of Dapa, Surigao del Norte of illegal fishing with the use of explosives in violation of Presidential Decree 1058.
Salasa’s sentence of life imprisonment, on the other hand, was commuted to a definite prison term of 27 years. He was convicted by the RTC of Tagum, Davao of robbery with homicide.
Aquino commuted Nartatez’s sentence of indeterminate prison term of 12 years and one day to 20 years and to pay a fine of P300,000 to an indeterminate prison term of seven years to 12 years and to pay a fine of 300,000. Nartatez was convicted by the RTC of Candon City, Ilocos Sur for a drug-related case.
Paneza’s life sentence, meanwhile, was commuted to a definite prison term of 25 years and to pay civil indemnity of P50,000. He was convicted of violating P.D. 532 or highway robbery by the RTC of Iloilo City and affirmed by the Supreme Court.
‘Abadilla 5’?
Asked if there will be more commutations of sentences to be signed by the President before the year ends, Valte said she cannot answer the question. "I will have to check kung mayroon pa pong mga ibang nakasalang," she told reporters.
She said she is also checking the progress of the paperwork on the case of Abadilla 5.
De Lima earlier said she has sent President Aquino a memorandum on the recommendation of the Board of Pardons and Parole for the commutation of the life sentences of the Abadilla 5.
Lenido Lumanog, Cesar Fortuna, Joel de Jesus, Rameses de Jesus and Augusto Santos were convicted of killing martial law enforcer Col. Rolando Abadilla.
As early as September this year, the BPP transmitted to the Office of the President its recommendation to have the life sentences of the five convicts reduced to 16 years each. — KBK, GMA News
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