PHILIPPINES: Court appearance of family of Rolando Galman, accused of killing opposition leader Benigno Aquino in 1983

Record ID: 232780

  • Title: PHILIPPINES: Court appearance of family of Rolando Galman, accused of killing opposition leader Benigno Aquino in 1983
  • Date: 6th March 1985
  • Summary: CHIEF JUDGE: "In that case, when do you think they will be ready to take the stand?" LAZARO: "I advised them, I even advised them of the consequence of their refusal, Your Honour. I also told them of the importance of their testimony." JUDGE: "So despite your advice they refused?" LAZARO: "Yes, Your Honour." JUDGE: "Does that mean you are in a difficult situation, that
  • Embargoed: 21st March 1985 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MANILA, PHILIPPINES
  • Country: Philippines
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement
  • Reuters ID: LVA230PDWGN29NA5XWB9068EAT5F
  • Story Text: The family of Rolando Galman, accused by the Philippines military of murdering opposition leader Benigno Aquino, appeared in a Manila court on March 5, but refused to testify because they claimed the court was subservient to President Ferdinand Marcos. They told their lawyer Lupino Lazaro that they were determined to give evidence, following Marcos's statement that military chief Fabian Ver will be reinstated if acquitted. Ver, a personal friend of Marcos, is one of 24 people arraigned in connection with Aquino's assassination. The opposition leader was returning from exile in the United States when he was shot upon disembarking at Manila airport. Seconds later, Galman was found lying dead on the tarmac, and for months the regime maintained that he was Aquino's assassin. But a special inquiry last year implicated Ver and 23 others. When the trial opened last month, it was expected to run at least a year, but several key witnesses have sine disappeared, and proceedings are expected to end within two months. Galman's mother Saturnina claimed that Marcos ordered Aquino's killing. She, her daughter Marylin, and Galman's son and stepdaughter twice failed to appear in court. When they eventually appeared on March 5, they told Lazaro they would not testify for the prosecution, and now risk a contempt of court citation. Judge Manuel Pamaran asked Lazaro to tell the Galmans that "whatever the president says was a very, very, very big if". The judge also indicated that he was not inclined to use the coercive powers of the court to compel them to testify.
    ASG/BB
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register