US embassy cable - 05MANILA4545

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANILA 004545 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/MTS, INR/EAP, DRL/CRA, G/TIP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/27/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, PINR, RP 
SUBJECT: MALACANANG REPORTEDLY CONSIDERING PARDON OF 
CONVICTED CHILD RAPIST FROM PROMINENT POLITICAL CLAN 
 
REF: A. MANILA 4140 
 
     B. MANILA 0219 
 
Classified By: Acting Pol/C Joseph L. Novak for Reasons 1.4 
(b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) Summary:  The Palace is reportedly considering 
pardoning former Congressman Romeo Jalosjos, who has been in 
jail since 1997 for raping an 11 year old girl.  According to 
opponents of the possible move, the Palace is considering the 
matter as a reward to the Jalosjos clan, which is politically 
influential in Mindanao.  The Palace has neither confirmed 
nor denied the reports that it is considering a pardon, 
although the Justice Secretary has spoken equivocally on the 
matter.  The notion that the Palace might even be 
contemplating a pardon tends to highlight President Arroyo's 
continued insecurity over her political position.  End 
Summary. 
 
2.  (SBU) Pressing for a Pardon:  Malacanang Palace is 
reportedly considering pardoning former Congressman Romeo 
Jalosjos, who has been in jail since 1997 for raping an 11 
year old girl (see background re Jalosjos and his case below; 
also see ref b).  His brother, Cesar Jalosjos, and sister, 
Cecilia Jalosjos Carreon, who are both representatives in the 
House from Zamboanga del Norte Province in Mindanao, have 
been pressing the issue and urging an immediate pardon for 
Jalosjos based on medical grounds (they say he has heart 
problems).  Jalosjos' mother, Angelina, has also been making 
emotional public appeals to President Arroyo asking that she 
use her powers to pardon her son.  A petition requesting his 
pardon that had gained the signatures of over 50 House 
members as of late last year is being revived and circulated 
in the House in a bid to get further endorsements.  Secretary 
of Justice Raul Gonzales, when asked about the case by the 
press, has given equivocal statements indicating that he 
might consider recommending that a pardon be issued on 
medical grounds. 
 
3.  (C) Claims of "Payback":  Opposition politicians, figures 
in the Catholic Church, and NGOs working in the 
anti-trafficking area have bitterly criticized the effort to 
pardon Jalosjos.  They assert that he does not merit a pardon 
given the seriousness of his crime, adding that his claimed 
medical condition is nothing but a ruse.  The criticism from 
these sectors also involves claims that Malacanang may grant 
the pardon as a way "to pay back" the Jalosjos clan for its 
political support.  Ronnie Zamora, an Opposition Congressman, 
told Acting Pol/C on September 23 that he believed that 
Malacanang might want to grant the pardon because Cesar 
Jalosjos and Cecilia Jalosjos Carreon had supported the 
President by voting against the Opposition's impeachment 
complaint earlier this month (ref a).  Zamora added:  "The 
Jalosjos clan is very important in the House and in the 
Zamboanga area, and Arroyo needs its continued support." 
Zamora added that Malacanang might be reluctant to grant the 
pardon because "there will be hell to pay if it does -- Romeo 
Jalosjos is known to be a bad character." 
 
4.  (C) No Clear Signals from the Palace:  Malacanang has 
neither confirmed nor denied the reports.  In a September 26 
meeting with Acting Pol/C, Gabriel "Gabby" Claudio, Arroyo's 
chief adviser on political affairs, commented that he was not 
certain, but said he did not believe that the President was 
actively considering a pardon.  He added that he had asked 
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita about the matter and he 
(Ermita) said he had not heard that there was any such move 
afoot.  Claudio remarked that Romeo Jalosjos and the rest of 
his family were known to be very close to Norberto "Bert" 
Gonzales, the National Security Adviser.  (Note:  The 
Jalosjos' are members of a political party, "Partido 
Demokratikong Sosyalista ng Pilipinas," headed by Gonzales. 
End Note.)  Claudio said he did not know whether Bert 
Gonzales was pressing the matter, but he said it as "very 
possible." 
 
5.  (C) Further Background:  As also touched on in ref b, 
Jalosjos was already a long-time politician when police 
arrested him in 1997.  He received two life term sentences in 
1998 and is currently serving his time at the national 
penitentiary located south of Manila.  When arrested, 
Jalosjos was a popular representative from Zamboanga del 
Norte.  Despite his conviction and imprisonment, he won 
reelection to the House in both 1998 and 2001 (his seat 
remained vacant during those terms).  The 65-year-old 
Jalosjos reportedly still wields considerable political power 
even from prison and his family remains very influential 
(aside from his brother and sister in Congress, another 
brother is the mayor of Dapitan, a large city in Zamboanga 
del Norte).  In addition, Jalosjos, once a television 
producer and the owner of a luxury resort, enjoys strong 
support from many in the entertainment industry. 
 
6.  (C) Comment:  The notion that the Palace might be 
contemplating a pardon tends to highlight President Arroyo's 
continued insecurity over her political position.  Many 
observers have commented that Malacanang, weakened by recent 
scandals, may be entering into a "transactional" mode of 
governance wherein it is forced to cut deals with members of 
the House and Senate, and others in order to keep its head 
above water.  Pardoning a convicted child rapist for 
transparent political reasons would be just about the worst 
form that such transactions could take.  If a pardon is 
granted, it would also be a very bad message on the 
trafficking in persons (TIP) front where the Philippines has 
a very serious problem. 
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JOHNSON