An outraged Vivian Hultman is questioning the decision of President Arroyo to grant executive clemency to Claudio Teehankee Jr., who was convicted for the 1991 murder of her daughter, Maureen.

In an interview with the ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau in Stockholm, Sweden, Hultman said she was never informed that Teehankee was going to be freed.

The Hultmans have been living in Stockholm since Teehankee was sentenced for the murder of daughter Maureen, her friend John Roland Chapman and for the wounding of Jussi Leino.

Hultman said she learned of Teehankee's release from prison through a friend.

"It came out of the blue. We had no warning at all that this has happened, that this will happen, that this was in the process of happening. When we heard of the report, it was done already. He was pardoned and already out of prison. And it was a big shock. And then, just this feeling of disgust and anger," Hultman said.

She said she is puzzled why the release was kept secret.

"People would say, 'we did nothing wrong, everything was above the board, everything was legal. So why the hiding if everything is legal, everything is aboveboard? You get a statement from the executive secretary that we have approved the pardon. He uses the word 'approved' because we have gotten a settlement, and it's printed in the newspapers that we received a settlement, a cash amount of P6 million plus. Where he got the figure, I have no idea, and it's absolutely not true," she said.

Hultman was not able to contain her emotions and she vented her anger towards Department of Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez.

"Please explain why you did it, how you did it. And I cannot understand, what is his title, Secretary of Justice? For a person in that position, he should know, he should be aware of what is being done, on what is the right thing to do, what is the wrong thing, which should not be done," she said.

She also questioned the timing of Teehankee's pardon during the term of Mrs. Arroyo.

"I'd like to point out, even my children point out: How many presidents have been there? And nobody has basically touched this case," she said.

Settlement agreement?

Meanwhile, Hultman and Philippine Ambassador to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Manuel Teehankee, the convict's younger brother, verbally sparred on air over an alleged settlement agreement that said the Hultmans did not oppose the pardon granted to the murderer.

The Teehankees gave ABS-CBN News a copy of a settlement signed November 1999, which they said contains an agreement between the two parties regarding the freedom of the convict.

The document states that the Hultmans would not oppose the application or granting of parole or of a commutation of sentence for Teehankee as long as it is based on law.

"This is a document that was required relating to the settlement of the civil aspect of the case of the expression of remorse by our family to the Hultman family, and also relating to the possible - if and when eligible - Claudio Jr. might apply for clemency," the ambassador said.

The document was signed by Hultman and her husband, Anders, Rose and Stephanie Teehankee, and the lawyers of the two parties.

However, Anders denied the existence of such agreement, and said he opposes the pardon.

The younger Teehankee also gave ABS-CBN News a copy of a public notice published in newspapers dated Feb. 6, 2004, which showed his brother's name in the list of possible grantees for executive clemency.

A copy of an official notice to the Hultmans was also given, dated Jan. 24, 2004.

The ambassador said no one from either camp opposed the motion. He added there was no legal obstacle to the granting of pardon for his elder brother.

However, in a live telephone interview in which both the ambassador and Hultman were interviewed, the latter denied they received any notice regarding the pardon.

"The procedures of notice were complied with and were provided for in the application for clemency," said Ambassador Teehankee.

"Where was it sent, who sent it, and did we receive it? We didn't receive anything about that," Hultman said.

"Perhaps, it was received by the court and passed on through counsel, so that one, I'm not very aware of," the ambassador said.

According to the Crusade Against Violence (CAV), if it is proven no notice was given to the offended party, the President should not have granted executive clemency to the convict.

Hultmans outraged

The Hultmans are outraged at the decision, but are seemingly giving up on fighting against the power of the executive branch.

"We cannot do anything. I mean, even if we object to the high heavens, it is still the President's decision... but we should be given the opportunity to prepare ourselves for that possibility," Hultman said.

She also said that the money the family received was based on a court order and not part of any agreement.

"What is being implied is that the Hultmans were paid so now he can be pardoned. This is completely wrong, and we accepted the monetary damages that was orderd by the courts from the Teehankee family," she said.

Ambassador Teehankee apologized to the Hultmans during the telephone exchange.

"I do wish to express again to Madamme Hultman the sincere regret and apology of our family," he said.

"Shall we expect an apology from your brother?" asked ABS-CBN chief correspondent Korina Sanchez in ANC's "Korina Today."

"He has on several occasions in relation to the application expressed his remorse," the ambassador said.

However, Hultman's tone still indicated her anger at her daughter's killer.

"When my husband was still living in the Philippines, he did go to the prison and speak to Mr. Teehankee, and he (Teehankee) denied that he had done it. I will never exchange my daughter's life for money. For me, that money will always be blood money. It cost me my daughter's life. She is dead and gone. I can never bring her back," Hultman said.

Family affected

Hultman, in another phone interview with ABS-CBN News on Wednesday, said Teehankee's release has affected her whole family.

"It was like yesterday...and it opened all the wounds...we can't get sleep here because of the agony. My whole family is affected. Even my children can't go to work because of this," she said.

When asked if she would talk to her daughter's killer if given the chance, she said she would not.

"I don't want anything to do with him. He killed my child."

If she were alive, Maureen would have turned 33 years old on September 28. However, Hultman said she does not think of what might have been if her daughter were alive today.

"I don't think about things like that because that really hurts. I would be sure that she would be the lovely person that she had always been," she said.  With reports from Agnes Marelid, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau in Stockholm, and Paul Henson and Korina Sanchez, ABS-CBN News in Manila