Avescom soldiers free to talk to PAO — Cory

Though she continues to doubt the credibility of the former soldiers convicted of killing her husband, former President Corazon Aquino said yesterday she has no objection to their seeking the assistance of the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) to reopen the two-decade old case.

"It’s okay. They can talk to whomever they want to talk to, of course, according to the prison rules," Mrs. Aquino said when asked by her spokeswoman, Deedee Siytangco, on the latter’s television show, for her comment about the soldiers’ latest move.

Aquino said the soldiers wrote her during her presidency, claiming that it was Rolando Galman, whom they described as a communist hit man, who killed her husband, former senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr.

"They insisted that they didn’t kill Ninoy, that it was Galman. That was hard for me to accept because it was not Galman but the escorts," she said.

Aquino also said that forgiveness for the soldiers would happen only if they would admit their culpability. "In my religion and others‚ as well, one should admit one’s guilt before one asks for forgiveness," she said.

Mrs. Aquino declined reporters’ request for an interview after the show.

On behalf of the former president, Siytangco said Aquino "stands pat by her statement that they (soldiers) are not credible because until now they have not admitted to killing Ninoy and more so, telling us who masterminded the killing. So it’s very hard to believe them."

Siytangco advised the soldiers to give their statements to the "proper venue, the proper people" such as the PAO and "not only to media so that they would get mileage."

"It’s up to the courts to open (the case) if there is evidence. They (soldiers) can talk to anybody but I wish they’d tell the truth. That’s what the (Aquino) family wants. Tell the truth once and for all," she said.