Wife of slain botanist demand just, right judgement in 15-year pursuit for justice

By Aaron Ernest Cruz

MANILA – Glenda Co, 64, is ready to take a major step in her 15-year journey of pursuing justice for the killing of her late husband, renowned ethnobotanist Leonardo Co, as the promulgation on the case draws near.

Recalling the difficulties that she had to go through and the patience she had to muster with the slow judicial process in the Philippines, especially when state forces are involved, Glenda could only hope for a right and just decision.

Co and his companions Sofronio Cortez and Julius Borromeo were killed by the military while conducting field research in the forests of Kananga, Leyte. The military claimed that Co and his team were caught in a crossfire between the military and the New People’s Army (NPA).

For Glenda, the military’s claim does not explain the 245 rounds of gunfire her husband’s team received. She said that the military should have a protocol when it comes to the presence of civilians during a gunfight with revolutionary forces to ensure minimal collateral damage.

Explaining why they had to wait for 15 years, Glenda told Bulatlat, “We had to wait for a criminal case to be filed. I already agreed for the case to be filed for reckless imprudence, hoping it would be shorter, but now, I just pray that we would be given a right and just decision.” She shared her despair when instead of murder, the case against the 19th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army was reduced to reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide. 

The only encounter of Co with the military before his death, was when he was doing field research in San Mariano, Isabela and the military mistook the lens he was using in investigating small specimens as a telescope, accusing him of monitoring their movement. 

Glenda shared that whenever she attends the hearing or a commemoration honoring her late husband, she cannot help but be sentimental, recalling the good memories she had with her husband.  

She said that one of her most memorable moments with her husband was when Tropical Storm Uring (Thelma) wrecked Ormoc City. “He was so angry that environmental issues persisted, killing thousands of people. I recalled how he told me that tragedies like that would continue to happen if environmental issues are left unresolved,” she recalled.

On November 5, 1991, Tropical Storm Uring passed through the Philippines landing in Ormoc City and recorded deaths reached 5,081, with around 3,084 missing and countless homes and infrastructure damaged. Illegal logging and other environmental factors contributed to the massive flooding that caused most of the casualties.

An all-around husband

While most remember Co for his contribution in the field of botany, especially with the recovery of his hard drive which contained many of his studies, Glenda remembers her husband for his love for cooking, his keen knowledge on astrology, and as a father who was always present for their child despite his busy schedule at work. 

“When he was still alive, he always told me to look at the moon or the stars, because that’s where we would talk. He was good at astrology, that’s why he liked to talk of the stars,” Glenda shared.

These memories keep Glenda going, pushing her to do her part in ensuring that her husband would get the justice that he deserves. 

Demanding swift justice

Glenda believes that the persistent and constant call for justice is needed when injustice is done to someone like Co who served the country with his accomplishments in his field. But even despite the collective call for justice, she felt that the reduced crime slapped on the accused reflects the problems in the country’s justice system.

“And because the court insisted that what happened was mere reckless imprudence, I feel like he died because of an accident. But it’s not that someone just crashed into him. That is how slow our justice system here in the Philippines is,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Environmental Defenders Congress demands full accountability from the 19th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army for the murder of Co and his companions.

In a statement, EDC wrote, “We demand justice from all those responsible, not just for Leonard Co, but for everyone who has fallen in the fight to defend the planet and its defenders.”

The group also pointed out that the long legal proceeding is “judicial harassment” that shields state forces from accountability. They added that this also allowed the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) to drain their resources with the campaign.

For Glenda, the case of her husband is far from over. “For me, if ever I would get a favorable decision from the court, it will still not be justice, because they should be charged for murder. But again, we are still waiting and hopeful that the judgement will be right. We’ll see probably in December.” (RTS, RVO)

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