CA orders GIs to explain death of interpreter

MANILA, Philippines – American soldiers implicated in the death of a Filipino interpreter in Mindanao have been ordered by the Court of Appeals to shed light on the incident by filing verified returns to writs of amparo and habeas data issued by the Supreme Court.

The CA’s Special Seventeenth Division noted that Captain Michael Kay of the Joint Special Operations Task Force Philippines (JSOTFP), Lieutenant Junior Grade Theresa Donelly of the US Barracks, 103rd Infantry Brigade, a Captain Boyer and Master Sergeant Gines, as well as Tomas Rivera of Skylink Security and General Services, had still not filed their returns despite a Supreme Court order that accompanied its granting the petition for the writs filed by the family of interpreter Gregan Cardeño.

Cardeño was an interpreter hired by the American military through Skylink. He was found dead inside his room at JSTOFP headquarters in Marawi City February 2.

Authorities ruled his death a suicide but his relatives and human rights groups suspect he was murdered.

During the hearing on the petition for the writs last July 7, 2010, the US soldiers and Rivera failed to appear before the CA.

Aside from the US soldiers and Rivera, the petition also named former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the Visiting Forces Agreement Commission, Philippine National Police Director General Jesus Versoza, Western Mindanao Command chief General Ben Dolorfino, General Rey Aldo and Colonel Felix Castro of the 103rd Infantry Brigade, Senior Police Officers 3 Ali Rangiris and Mayaman Angintaopan of the Marawi City police, and a police intelligence officer surnamed Mago.

The writ of habeas data is a remedy available to any person whose right to privacy, life, liberty or security is violated or threatened by an unlawful act or omission of a public official or employee, or of a private individual or entity engaged in the gathering, collecting or storing of data or information regarding the person, family, home and correspondence of the aggrieved party.

The writ of amparo is a remedy available to any person whose right to life, liberty, and security is violated and threatened with violations by unlawful act or omission or a public official or employee, or of a private individual or entity. (Dateline Philippines)


Link: http://dateline.ph/?p=4615