Appeals court upholds finding of suicide in death of US military interpreter

MANILA, Philippines—The Court of Appeals has ruled out foul play in last year’s death of a man who worked as interpreter for American troops participating in the US-Philippine Balikatan exercises inside a military camp in Marawi City.

The appellate court threw out the petition for writs of habeas data and amparo filed by the family of Gregan Cardeno for insufficiency of evidence.

The court pointed out that evidence examined by the National Bureau of Investigation and police investigators showed that Cardeno committed suicide.

“There is nothing in the recorded evidence which would attribute specific acts or omissions to the respondents as having a hand in the alleged cover-up,” the appellate court said.

“What is rather apparent herein, with respect to Gregan’s death is the findings by the investigating officers… that it was an act of suicide, thereby ruling out the possibility of ‘foul play’,” it added.

Associate Justice Francisco Acosta penned the ruling with Associate Justices Rosalinda Asuncion-Vicente and Danton Bueser concurring in it.

The ruling, a copy of which was obtained by the Inquirer on Thursday, was promulgated on May 27.

“Sadly, after a careful and judicious evaluation of the records of the instant case, we find the same to be utterly wanting of evidence sufficient to warrant the issuance of the writs prayed for,” the court said.

Listed as respondents in the petition were former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the Visiting Forces Agreement Commission, retired Philippine National Police Director Genenral Jesus Versoza, the Joint Special Operations Task Force Philippines and one Capt. Boyer.

Also named respondents were a certain M/Sgt. Gines, then Western Command chief Lieutenant General Ben Dolorfino, one Gen. Aldo of the 103rd Infantry Brigade, a Col. Felix Castro and several other military officers.

Cardeno, 33, was found dead inside his room in the Joint Special Operation Task Force headquarters located inside the Army’s 103rd Infantry Brigade camp in Marawi City in February last year.

His family claimed that he did not commit suicide, but was murdered while working as interpreter for American soldiers.