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November 16, 2005
Not All of the Convicted Chiong 7 May be Guilty
Over at Cebu city, a former key investigator of the controversial Chiong 7 rape-slay case revealed that at least two of the convicted 7 are innocent of the crime.
Retired SPO3 Roy Codinera, who is half-paralyzed from a stroke and relegated to a wheelchair, said he wanted to "unburden his conscience." He claims that James Andrew Uy, who is on death row, and brother James Anthony, who was meted a life sentence because he was then a minor, are both innocent of the crime. Their names were just inserted in the record of the extra-judicial confession of star witness Davidson "Tisoy" Rusia.
The revelation of Codinera pours fuel on the speculation that the trial was conducted roughshod to appease (or impress) a Chiong aunt who was then a secretary of President Estrada (look at http://www.framedinthephilippines.com. This could mean that not only the Uy brothers may be innocent.
It doesn't matter if Codinera has motives other than conscience cleansing. The fact that he called a press conference to reveal this new twist should be reason enough to give the case a second but more thorough review.
Indeed, the guilty should deserve no less than the most extreme punishment allowed by law. But if an innocent person is convicted of a crime he did not commit, shame on us all.
Posted by francis at November 16, 2005 01:27 PM
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