Critics of PGMA have been overjoyed when she granted executive clemency to Claudio Teehankee, the man who murdered Maureen Hultman and Ronald Chapman in the 90s. They were happy because they have another weapon against PGMA. They can bash her and exploit the situation in the public eye. What you will read in the papers and watch in the news however is not what it seems. PGMAs critics could only invoke emotion as they could not justify their vehement objection.
The Hultmans are the victims and they deserved justice. They got the justice that they deserved when Claudio Teehankee was convicted of the crime and served 17 years in the prison. The Hultmans agreed with the Teehankee family in the court supervised settlement they signed on 19 November 1999. They agreed that they will not object to the application of commutation of sentence and parole of Claudio Teehankee. They were also paid the whooping amount of Php 6,964,000 in cash.
The lawyers of Claudio Teehankee applied at BPP. The name of Claudio Teehankee was published on 6 Feb 2004, as required by law for the victim’s family to know about the application. The victim’s family could also move to block the parole. On 30 Sep 2008, PGMA signed the commutation of Claudio Teehankee’s commutation. Legally, the Hultman’s could not contest the parole given by PGMA. Sec. Raul Gonzalez was right that the Hultmans are suffering from amnesia as they agreed on 1999 not contest Teehankee’s application to the BPP.
I pity the Hultmans since no amount of money could compensate the life of their daughter. However, justice has been served. Claudio Teehankee had paid his dues to the society. At 67, he doesn’t much time to live. When he dies, he will still pay for his debt not on this earth but to his Maker.
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