The Philippine Online Chronicles

President Benigno Aquino III finally granted a cancer-stricken political detainee an executive pardon, only to learn that he died four days earlier.

Mariano Umbrero, 63, died at the New Bilibid Prison hospital on July 15 because of lung cancer.

Umbrero, a farmer, was accused of being a member of the New People’s Army (NPA) during the Martial Law and was charged with murder and kidnapping. He was released under conditional pardon during the Ramos administration but the cases were resurrected in 2004.

He was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in February 2011.

Palace was disappointed with the lack of coordination among concerned agencies.

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said, “We tried to find out what happened and no information was forthcoming… In the interim, nobody informed the Office of the President that Mr. Umbrero already passed on.”

“We are now looking at closer coordination in these cases. And we hope that the clemency, given by the President, even if it came after his death, even if for just a bit, would somehow lessen the sorrow of those he left behind,” she added.

According to Philippine Star, it is a matter of tradition among Presidents to release around 100 inmates every Christmas but Aquino did not do so last year.

Umbrero’s pardon came with the prodding of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima who cited his terminal illness.

Aquino admitted that he was not comfortable with releasing convicts by way of “automatic discounts.”

“In the US justice system, you will go through the process wherein you will have to explain to their parole board that there is a good reason why you should get back your right to become part of society,” Aquino said.

Before Aquino’s State of the Nation Address on July 25 this year, over 300 political prisoners from different detention centers participated in a four-day fast calling for their release.

A former political detainee and now a member of Samahan ng Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (Selda) said, “Nothing has been done to serve justice for the illegal arrest, torture and illegal detention of the 354 political prisoners who are still languishing in jails all over the country. Under his (Aquino) term, there were already 45 political prisoners incarcerated.”