Ninoy died for the Restoration of Rights

Mrs. Gloria Arroyo just freed the last remaining ten convicted killers of former Senator Ninoy Aquino. Learning about the incident, the former senator's daughter Kris Aquino just could'nt help but remind Arroyo and the public about the sacrifices made by her father who was gunned down several decades ago.

Lest we forget, Ninoy was one of the thousands who sacrificed their lives against the dictatorship. Despite earlier warnings, Ninoy pushed ahead of his plan to return here, only to be repulsed by an assassin's bullets. His body was shot at and brutally descecrated by the State's security forces. His death led to the EDSA Revolt after three years.

Ninoy's sacrifice was not in vain. He's now known as one of the heroes of the so-called EDSA Revolution, which restored the powers of the post-Martial law aristocracy and even created opportunities for the new oligarchs.

Yet, is there really a connection between the democratic legacy of Ninoy with that of the pardon and subsequent release of his convicted killers.

I hate to say this, but, there is no legal connection. There is but, an obvious moral connection, which I'll explain later on.

Based on the records, these Aquino-Galman murder convicts have already spent considerable time in jail. They are not sentenced to die either by electrocution nor by musketry. Their sentence was simply spend a life term in jail, which in our jurisdiction, means about 40 years in jail.

Yet, this 40 years also means that, if you already serve half of your jail term, you'll be amenable to parole or pardon. That is a right enshrined in the 1987 Constitution, the same charter which Ninoy's widow campaigned hard to be ratified. This right is also stated in our Civil and Penal Codes.

Kris reminded us that we (the people) must not forget the sacrifice made by her father. And the foremost legacy of his father is the restoration of rights, which, under a democracy, is the primary bedrock of its existence.

To deny her father's convicted killers of their rights to be pardoned goes against the very same principle which her father gave his life for.

Now, is it immoral for Mrs. Arroyo to release these convicts now, a few days after the celebration of EDSA Uno?

Yes.

This is what you call a lack of decency and virtue on the part of the pardoning power. It shows you how amateurish people in Malacanang are.

They could have done this post-facto, meaning, a few days or months before June 20, 2010. It could have been easier for the Aquinos and the rest of the Filipino People to accept this.

Timing was never considered.

Arroyo released the pardon papers a week after a mammoth rally calling for her resignation was held at the Ayala Avenue Makati City. Aquino was there at the rally, along with former president Erap Estrada.

As statesperson, Arroyo should have considered the possible political implications of such a move, given that civil society members were still aghast at what she did during the EDSA Uno celebrations.

We recognize Arroyo's penchant for deconstructing history. We all know that she's trying her best to erase whatever legacy or somber remembrance we had about those times.