Controversial Clemency For Son Of Former Philippine Supreme Court Justice Convicted Of Murder

Manila, Philippines (AHN) - News of executive clemency granted to the convicted son of a former Philippine Supreme Court justice sparked outrage in Manila.

Claudio Teehankee Jr. was among the 200 plus convicts granted executive clemency by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. He was found guilty in 1995 of murdering Maureen Hultman and Roland John Chapman, whom he shot inside an exclusive Makati village in 1991.

The case hit the headlines because of his father's prominent role as the dissenting justice during the rule of dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

Being a namesake failed to save the younger Teehankee from 14 years of detention at the National Penitentiary in Muntinlupa, although there were persistent reports he was accorded special treatment.

There is a rising opposition to Teehankee's release, primarily from the anti-crime group which was formed by families of murder victims. Some question the secrecy behind the grant of pardon to Teehankee, although the Department of Justice maintained proper legal procedures were followed.

The family of Teehankee, which is prominent and counts several sitting government officials, appealed to the public to allow the convicted murderer his privacy and a chance to start life anew since he had already served his sentence and had reformed inside prison.

Doubts, however, had been aired if Teehankee is really a changed man. Rodolfo Diamante, executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines' Episcopal Commission on Prison Pastoral Care theorized Teehankee may have had a record of good conduct which led to his being granted executive clemency. But Diamante doubted he underwent rehabilitation since the Philippine penal system has no rehab program for inmates.

Some viewed Teehankee's release as a political decision, while the political opposition quickly jumped on the issue by claiming double standards of justice for rich and poor prisoners. Other pundits said the release of Teehankee was goodwill by the government because of the legacy of his father to Philippine democracy.

The elder Teehankee was the one who administered to oath of office to Corazon Aquino as president after the Edsa People Power Revolution of 1986 ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos from 20 years of power.

Last year, a similar rage was expressed by the public over the release of another prominent inmate, Zamboanga Congressman Romeo Jalosjos, who was convicted for raping a minor.