DUMAGUETE CITY — The mastermind, to my mind, is already dead.

This was the statement made by Liberal Party standard-bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino when asked whether he considers the Aquino-Galman murder case closed.

“The case has been there for over 20 years and the law says that the prescription period has already set in…so how do you pursue it?” Aquino, the only son of slain Senator Benigno Aquino Jr., said.

Still, Noynoy expressed his desire that those who “managed to go scot-free, those whom we couldn’t bring to court for want of evidence or has skipped jurisdiction of our laws, to come back and tell us the real story.”

“There are still people (who were involved in the murder) who can put in some of the (missing) details (about the case)…this can make sure that the future generations are made aware of the travesties that happened during the martial law years so that we are armored enough to resist a repetition of the same,” Aquino said.

Early last year, President Arroyo had granted executive clemency to the soldiers convicted for the death of Ninoy Aquino.

The former soldiers later asked President Arroyo to upgrade the executive clemency granted to them to absolute pardon.

Once given absolute pardon, the convicts’ civil and political rights would be restored.

The primary basis for their request was the 2004 forensic findings by independent experts that pointed to Rolando Galman as the murderer of Aquino.

The soldiers were also quoted as saying that they are hoping that President Arroyo would grant them absolute pardon.

At present, only ex-Sgt. Pablo Martinez was given pardon by President Arroyo in December 2007 after reaching the age of 70. Cordova Estelo and Mario Lazaga, died in prison.

The accused who were sentenced to double life sentences were Martinez, Lazaga, Cordova, Ex-Capt. Romeo Bautista, Ex-First Lt. Jesus Castro, ex-Sergeants Rodolfo Desolong, Filomeno Miranda, Claro Lat, Ernesto Mateo, Arnulfo Artates, Rolando de Guzman, Ruben Aquino, Felizardo Taran, Arnulfo de Mesa and Rogelio Moreno.