From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Supreme Court of the Philippines | |
| Decided 6 October 1995 | |
|---|---|
| Ponente Reynato Puno | |
| G.R. Nos. 111206-08 | |
| Unanimous Regalado, Mendoza and Francisco, JJ., concur; Narvasa, C.J., is on leave.[1] | |
The Hultman-Chapman murder case was a murder case that gained wide publicity in the Philippines during the early 1990's. This is due to the fact that Claudio Teehankee, Jr., the perpetrator of the crime, was the son of the late former Chief Justice Claudio Teehankee, Sr. and the brother of former Justice Undersecretary Manuel Teehankee. The case helped sway the public view and lawmakers on crime and restore the death penalty in the Philippines.
Court records show that Roland John Chapman, Maureen Hultman, and another friend, Jussi Leino, were coming home from a party at around three o'clock in the morning of July 13, 1991. Leino was walking Hultman home along Mahogany street in Dasmariñas Village, Makati City when Teehankee came up behind them in his car. He stopped the two and demanded that they show some identification. Leino took out his wallet and showed Teehankee his Asian Development Bank ID. Teehankee grabbed the wallet. Chapman, who was waiting in a car for Leino, stepped in and asked Teehankee: “Why are you bothering us?” Teehankee drew out his gun and shot Chapman in the chest, killing him instantly. After a few minutes, Teehankee shot Leino, hitting him in the jaw. Then he shot Hultman on the temple before driving away. Leino survived and Hultman died two months later in hospital due to brain hemorrhages caused by the bullet fragments. Teehankee was arrested several days later on the testimony of several witnesses. The witnesses were Domingo Florence and Agripino Cadenas, private security guards, and Vincent Mangubat, a driver, all three being employs of residents of the village.
The Supreme Court of the Philippines, on March 6, 1992, dismissed Teehankee, Jr.'s certiorari[2] On December 22, 1992, Judge Job B. Madayag, Makati City Regional Trial Court, Branch 145, convicted Teehankee, Jr.[3] The Supreme Court of the Philippines on October 6, 1995, modified the trial court's decision and found Teehankee, Jr. guilty of murders of Roland John Chapman and Maureen Hultman and sentenced to one count of reclusión perpetua and two counts of reclusión temporal. As of 2006, he was incarcerated for thirteen years at the New Bilibid PrisonMuntinlupa City.[4] Teehankee, Jr. was ordered to pay civil indemnity: in Criminal Case No. 91-4605, 50,000.00 Philippine Pesos as indemnity for the Chapman's death; 1,000,000.00 Pesos as moral damages; in Criminal Case No. 91-4606, 50,000.00 Pesos as indemnity for Maureen Navarro Hultman's death; 2,350,461.83 Pesos as actual damages; 564,042.57 Pesos for loss of earning capacity; 1,000,000.00 Pesos as moral damages; and 2,000,000.00 Pesos as exemplary damages; in Criminal Case No. 91-4807, 30,000.00 Pesos as indemnity for Jussi Olavi Leino's injuries; 118,369.84 Pesos and equivalent in Philippine Pesos of U.S.$55,600.00, both as actual damages; 1,000,000.00 Pesos as moral damages; and 2,000,000.00 Pesos as exemplary damages; In all 3 cases, to pay each of 3 offended parties the sum of 1,000,000.00 Pesos for attorney's fees and expenses of litigation, petition to annul the trial court's admission of the amended information, the arraignment and appointment of PAO lawyer as counsel de oficio of Teehankee, Jr., inter alia. in
The killings of Chapman and Hultman, together with other notable heinous crimes such as the murder of Eldon Maguan and the Vizconde massacre caused the Philippine Congress to restore the death penalty in the Philippines in 1993. The imposition of the death penalty had been suspended with the enactment of the 1987 Philippine Constitution. The death penalty would again be barred in the Philippines after legislation to that effect was passed in 2006.
On October 6, 2008, Raul M. Gonzalez confirmed Claudio Teehankee Jr.'s release from prison by virtue of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo' commutation of sentence: "Everything went by the rules here. His [Teehankee’s] records have been reviewed by the Board of Pardons and Parole before a recommendation was given to the President." Raul M. Gonzalez further stated that: “I would assume that he already paid the civil liabilities.” Philippine Daily Inquirer[8][9] reported about P15 million as total damages. NBP Supt. Ramon Reyes said Teehankee was released based on "good conduct time allowance," or GCTA: “The release of Mr. Teehankee underwent a rigorous review and it was signed by the Secretary of Justice, Raul Gonzalez.”
It is not unusual for rich and influential Filipinos (and their relatives) to get pardon in the Philippines. Ambassador Manuel Antonio Teehankee, Philippine representative to the World Trade Organization, stated that his brother Teehankee, Jr. "has also already entered several years back with the financial settlement with the Hultmans." Further, Gonzalez admitted that Manuel's "reminder" was major factor in the release: "Three weeks ago bago umalis iyan (Manuel)...umalis sa Switzerland, dumaan sa office ko, hopefully sabi niya baka sakaling mapalaya ang kapatid niya (Three weeks ago, before leaving for Switzerland, Teehankee's brother went to my office and said hopefully I can facilitate his brother's release)."
*************Dear Readers,
Many people have written asking me to comment on the recent Claudio J.Teehankee Jr murder scandal.
I personally think it's a pretty big scandal, but compared to previous Philippines scandals, it only rates as a 6.1 on the scandal scale.
Maybe even a 5.8.
Let's face it peeps, some serious fucked up shit happens in the Philippines.
And this is not new.
And this particularly unsavory ingredient really just blends into Manilas toxic cake mix.
The entire system is one big massive joke.
Erap... sipping champers in the manse (but which one?)
Imelda... on Project Runway as an Iconic superstar in need of a frock.
It's all totally FUCKED UP!
So this Claudio Teehankee thing surprises me not. Nothing surprises me anymore. Anything is possible in the Philippines.
Anything.
I'll not mincing words here peeps. I'm in shock whenever a double murderer is released... PERIOD.
My motto is, if you take a precious life, you no longer deserve to live your own in society. If you take TWO..... well.....and what about the other person who he tried to kill? If he had succeeded in killing the third person, there is no way he would have been released.
He SHOULD have got the death penalty if you ask me.
He does NOT deserve to taste the sweet air of freedom.
You lose the right to live in any society when you have removed others from it by your own murderous will and heart stopping actions.
HOW could anyone murder?
HOW?
I've read every single thing I could find on the Teehankee Jr. case.
It baffles me.
WHY did he murder them?
WHY?
Why should we believe that he will not do it again?
He's NEVER explained WHY he murdered them.
How can he be forgiven unless he is willing to confess as to WHY he shot those innocent people dead?
I've also been sent a ton of information from readers and from Victorina blog.
This man should never have been released.
He should have served his FULL sentence.
But it is what it is.
And we all have to move on at some point.
I understand how Amiel is emotionally attached though as the sibling is a very close friend which he's already admitted.
He did declare from the very beginning that he had a conflict of interest.
Personally, I think Amiel should have left sleeping dogs lay, in this case.
I can sense his sheer need/desperation to get 'their' side out.
Let them 'hire' real PR Amiel.
They have enough money.
You've done your job!
I've also been following Victorina's entries on Claudio's scandal because the heat is happening there and the comments are fantastic... and VERY balanced. I also commend Amiel for trying to rein in his readers comments because it can all get out of hand very quickly. I do not let cross fighting on my blog anymore. If you want to scrap with others, go to you tube to comment on things and be as evil as you want.
What can I say peeps? It's disgusting but typical.
Just disgusting.
I found someone who wrote word for word how I truly feel about this evil man and the evil things that he did.... not so long ago. I was just arriving in Australia and that seems like yesterday. The comment if from Amiels own blog.
No amount of money could EVER bring back the precious life that Claudio so recklessly snuffed out in cold blood.
Not at all a Christian thing to do.
Sure the Hultman family wants more money.
OF COURSE they do.
I'd want a shit load if I were them. Times change, it's obvious.
They sure changed for lucky, rich, well connected Claudio, so they should change for his victims family too. Claudio is just so lucky to have money to PAY for his early release.
Just being able to afford a GOOD lawyer could save your life. If you have money.
But if you don't?
Well... fuck you peasant, rot!
Fare is Fare.
Philippines style.
Help the rich.
Fuck the poor.
Claudio got out early, so he should pay the family MORE money.
IF he/family still has the money to do so.
For sure!
They have every right to come back at him, because pain and grief never truly subside.
He murdered their daughter in cold blood.
He should have spent the rest of his days in prison.
Prison is too good for him.
DJ deserves prison for what he did too!
And for those who think I let emotions rule my direction...
Guilty as charged.
But I'd love to see how you would respond in the same circumstances.
Everyone's so tough until it happens to them.
Then you quickly find out, that you're all alone.
And you do what you have to do.
You cope.
Claudio, well I'm not sure what he deserves.
His FULL sentence at least!
I mean, it's not like he just killed one person is it?
He meant to kill THREE people Amiel!!!!!!!!
Point blank range in the chest , head and face.
I mean come on.. what about the poor families who have to deal with that information. The daughter was on life support for weeks before she finally died from bullet fragments in her brain.
Uhm... hello!
That sentence was handed down because he murdered a daughter and a son and almost murdered a third.
Almost.
Letting Claudio out for 'good behaviour' sends the wrong message to the family and to the country, which already gets so many mixed messages from the courts and the President, who is truly responsible for his release.
Gloria.
Hmm.
The Hultman daughter and Jussi Leino have been forgotten now by the lawyers, family and perhaps even friends of the family......
He MURDERED human beings! His fellow Filipinos.
He snatched away two precious being... because he could.
He thought he was all powerful because of WHO his father was and what his family represents in the Philippines. Claudio thought he was invincible.
Remind you of anyone?
*************************************
amiel
i'm sure there were no questions asked by his family due to the fact that the presidential administration of the time got involved. the public were made aware of the brutality and though we may question the involvement of aquino & estrada as possible political machinations, he was still convicted based on eyewitness identification and leinos testimony. that is something you cannot argue. convictions have been achieved by very proficient prosecutors with much lesser and highly circumstantial body of evidence. his visibility after legally serving his commuted sentence is due to the fact that by birth he became a member of the elite, the powerful the bold and the beautiful of manila political & business dynasties (as i have written before convoluted relationships). for some reason the filipino people are easilly impressed by the smell of MONEY. most will mistakenly assume that money and family connections afforded these people priveleged leadership and virtues. most filipinos will put these people on a pedestal of virtue as long as they have money. its the master and slave mentality that is so engrained in the psyche of many filipinos after so many generations of spanish enslavement. this subservience coupled with the continued belief in the religion have allowed people to accept their fate. thats why we have a term called bahala na. the teehankees should perhaps count their blessings. their money and name have afforded claudio priveleges in the "maximum" security all these years. the blood money they have paid is minuscule. even i at 30+ years old even with inflations and compounded interest is worth more than the money they have paid to the three victims. the hultmas were lucky to have the money to provide a private prosecutor that was able to apply the law of the land QUICKLY. just imagine if they were some farmers children from isabela with no money nor political connections? i have heard of people getting away from stabbing someone by paying 50 thousand pesos to the poor family. IMAGINE that. SO WHAT IF PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD ARE STILL TALKING ABOUT THIS PERPETRATOR AND COLD BLOODED KILLER. SO WHAT IF HE WILL GET HARASSED. SO WHAT IF HIS FAMILY WILL GET HARASSED. SO WHAT IF HE WILL NEVER GET HIS LIFE BACK. SO WHAT IF HE SERVED HIS SENTENCE WITH GOOD BEHAVIOR. SO WHAT IF THERE WERE OTHER 1429 INMATES PARDONED. SO WHAT IF THE HULTMANS CRY BLOOD TELEVISED FOR ALL TO SEE. SO WHAT IF THE HULTMANS AUTHORISED OBJECT AUTHOURISED OBJECT FROM EVERY TELEVISION IN MANILA TO TIMBUKTO. the blood money will never pay enough for the suffering of the family. yes amiel the law is the law. But the teehankees have not buried a child, the hultmans and the chapmans did. and the scars on leinos face will forever brand him the memories of that awful evil man. claudio will never be able to extricate himself from the guilt of killing those innocent people. ANd i hope that he will continue to remember in his dreams and when he is awake what he had done till the moment he took his last breath.
Justice is a joke in the Philippines.
