Evelio Javier widow’s ashes to be buried beside his grave

ILOILO CITY—The ashes of Precious Lotilla-Javier, the widow of slain opposition leader and former Antique Governor Evelio Javier, will be buried beside the grave of her husband on August 29, her family announced.

Precious, 67, died in the Los Angeles on August 16 after a long bout with cancer.

Her sons Francis Gideon and David were scheduled to arrive in Manila Sunday evening with her ashes. A wake will be held at the Christ the King Parish Church at Green Meadows Avenue in Quezon City from Sunday to Monday.

Her ashes will be brought to the capital town of San Jose in Antique Tuesday morning where an overnight wake will be held at the St. Joseph the Worker Cathedral.

These will be buried beside Javier’s grave at the San Jose Catholic cemetery on Wednesday after an 8 a.m. Mass at the cathedral.

Precious has been living in the United States since the 1980s and for nearly two decades fought for justice for her husband’s murder.

Javier was gunned down on Feb. 11, 1986, during the canvassing of votes of the 1986 snap presidential elections between Ferdinand Marcos and Corazon “Cory” Aquino.

He campaigned for Aquino and his death was among those that hastened the collapse of the dictatorship leading to the Edsa People Power I revolt.

On Oct. 12, 2004, or more than 18 years after Javier’s murder, the Antique Regional Trial Court acquitted former assemblyman Arturo Pacificador in Javier’s killing.

Pacificador, a strong Marcos ally and political rival of Javier, was tagged as the mastermind but the court said it found no evidence to show he was behind the killing.

But the court found guilty Pacificador’s lawyer Avelino “Bob” Javellana and six others, mostly Pacificador’s security personnel.

Pacificador’s son Rodolfo “Ding” Pacificador has evaded arrest and has been living in Canada.