THIS refers firstly to your news report “‘Abadilla 5′ take case to victim’s family” by Julie M. Aurelio (PDI, 8/23/08, p. A4). The headline is correct. But the report is not accurate in saying that only three (Lenido Lumanog, Augusto Santos, and Rameses de Jesus) of the A5 signed the Open Letter to the Abadilla Family on 21 August 2008 at New Bilibid Prison, Muntinlupa City, while the two others (Joel de Jesus and Cesar Fortuna) did not. They actually did, by writing their names and affixing their corresponding signatures on to copies of the printed out Open Letter which was originally prepared for the first three who were assisted in this by the undersigned as counsel for Lumanog and Santos and by PAO lawyer Abraham C. Ong as new counsel for Rameses de Jesus.
Your reporter apparently based her information about the Open Letter on an electronic copy posted on the website of the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) in Hong Kong. Indeed, the electronic copy reflected the Open Letter originally prepared for only the above-mentioned first three. Just the same, we are grateful for her report which calls attention to the plight of the A5 who have consistently claimed innocence for the Sparrow unit-style ambush-killing of former PC Metrocom Col. Rolando N. Abadilla on 13 June 1996.
The Open Letter itself calls the attention of the Abadilla Family to two of his personal objects (and thus familiar to them), which were taken by and recovered from a source evidently responsible for his killing, the old Alex Boncayao Brigade (ABB). These were his Omega wrist watch and .45 caliber pistol, now respectively with the Court and the PNP Crime Laboratory, which the family should check out for themselves to get to the truth about who were really responsible for the murder of their loved one.
It is perhaps providential that on the day that the A5 signed the Open Letter, 21 August 2008, which is the 25th anniversary of the 21 August 1983 assassination of former Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr., your newspaper started the first of an intrepid front-page two-part series by Fe Zamora which named Col. Abadilla among the core of five persons evidently behind that assassination. How uncanny this link between two assassinations, 13 years apart but both involving Col. Abadilla, first as a plotter and second as the victim. How uncanny also that the convicts in both cases have been asking the respective victim’s families to take a better closer look at certain pieces of evidence that would point to those really behind the respective assassinations. But will they take heed?
Soliman Santos Jr., Cubao, Quezon City (via e-mail)
Loading ...
October 16th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
Thanks for the information.
I absolutely agree with you De los Reyes.
September 25th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
Looking into presented evidence and witness testimonies, only those escorts behind Senator Aquino could have pulled the trigger to successfully execute the assassination. There are 5 members of the boarding party belonging to two security agencies (AVSECOM & METROCOM), SGT De Mesa and Lat were at the Senator’s left and right side, two METROCOM soldiers were in the back (Forget the guy at the front). The fragments found claimed to be from a .357 magnum was actually from a standard .38/9mm or a .45 caliber bullet - and one of the METROCOM soldier at the back of the senator was issued a 9mm. Abadilla was the highest ranking officer of the PC Metrocom in the Area of Operation and it is not wrong to say that he is a very knowledgeable individual and that it took 13 years to finally cut the link to the real masterminds who may be or may have been in the highest echelons of the government and business interests (I think Nerri’s term was Oligarchy?).
August 30th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Ninoy’s assassination is a no brainer. All one needs to do is answer these questions: Who had the means [used in the killing] to do it? Who had the best motive? Who were the immediate gainers of his assassination?
I agree that many interested parties had tried to muddle the evidence, but one need only to look into the Agrava commission’s final report for the answers. It pointed to who killed Ninoy but hinted only who the ultimate masterminds were. It does not matter because the question of “Who owned the Military personnel that connived to it?” is very simple to answer.
August 28th, 2008 at 7:01 am
Its no mystery who killed Ninoy. Its possibly the CIA at the cockpit. Remember that the US calls the shots on the security of Taiwan putting even the 7th Fleet as a buffer. Cant they place their people on the plane? Or even drive the plane. The national interest didnt agree with just hitting Ninoy on the vest. It wont work as desired. And no one investigated properly the plane.
August 27th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
I just want to know who killed Ninoy? there were a lot of people in that plane that could shed light on this case, however it remains a mystery?