MANILA, Philippines — Former lawmaker Romeo Jalosjos has asked President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to grant him an absolute pardon to allow him to again run for public office 12 years after he was convicted of raping an 11-year-old girl.

Although convicted of child rape by the Makati Regional Trial Court in December 1997 and sentenced to two life terms, the former representative of Zamboanga del Norte managed to seek and win reelection in 1998 and 2001 even while behind bars.

He was only dropped from the rolls of the House of Representatives when the Supreme Court affirmed his guilt in 2002.

In June 2007, Ms Arroyo commuted Jalosjos’ sentence to 16 years, three months and three days. This, along with so-called good conduct time allowance, allowed him to walk free for good despite having served only 12 years.

A check with the Board of Pardons and Parole (BPP) Thursday showed that the child rapist applied for an absolute pardon on Sept. 30, or two months before the Dec. 1 deadline for the filing of certificates of candidacy for the May 2010 national elections. (The original deadline was Nov. 30.)

It is deemed that an absolute pardon from the President would restore Jalosjos’ political rights including his right of suffrage (the right to vote and be voted upon), which he lost when the Supreme Court affirmed his conviction.

Under evaluation

The Office of the President “endorsed” or transmitted Jalosjos’ application to the BPP on Oct. 22 for evaluation and recommendation as to his eligibility for pardon.

The application officially landed on the BPP desk on Oct. 30.

When reached by phone, BPP Administrator Ismael Heradura denied rumors that Malacañang had granted Jalosjos absolute pardon.

Heradura also said Malacañang had no favorable or unfavorable comment on Jalosjos’ application.

“It is under evaluation and further study by the board,” he said.

An agency under the Department of Justice, the BPP serves as a recommendatory body to the President in granting executive clemency or pardon to prisoners other than those entitled to parole.

It is within the President’s power to grant a prisoner absolute pardon without seeking the opinion of the BPP, as what she did when she pardoned ousted President and plunder convict Joseph Estrada, explained a BPP official who asked not to be named for lack of authorization to speak publicly on the matter.

Sure he’d win

But the fact that Malacañang transmitted Jalosjos’ application to the BPP meant that the rape convict would have to go through the guidelines and requirements of the board in determining his eligibility for pardon, the official said.

When interviewed last month, Jalosjos said he might run for Congress again if Ms Arroyo would grant him absolute pardon.

He said he was sure he would win again should he decide to run because he twice won even while in prison.

“How much more now that I’m out of prison?” he said.

Jalosjos also said he planned to sue former President Fidel Ramos, former Vice President Teofisto Guingona and former Supreme Court Associate Justice Consuelo Yñares-Santiago for purportedly besmirching his reputation.