A good friend of mine, an Atenean,  send me an email, actually a forwarded email with a note: e-mail prayer brigade initiated by by Fr. James B. Reuter, S.J. originaly titled, ”Justice at 3 A.M.“ I’ve heared about this case but I’m not really very familliar with the entire story, especially the result of he Philippine Senate investigation. I’ve tried to check some sites and it’s interesting to know that despite the conclusions of the investigation, official record of the case has not been changed and no one has been charged. Here’s some excerpts from the email:

Phillip Andrew A. Pestaño graduated from the Ateneo de Manila High School in 1989, entered the Philippine Military Academy, and became an Ensign in the Philippine Navy in 1993. He was assigned as cargo master, on a Navy ship…

…The scheduled trip was very brief – from Cavite to Roxas Boulevard – it usually took only 45 minutes. But on September 27, 1995 , it took one hour and a half. When the ship arrived at Roxas Boulevard, Ensign Pestaño was dead. The body was in his stateroom, with a pistol, and a letter saying that he was committing suicide. The family realized at once that the letter was forged.. They tried desperately for justice, carrying the case right up to the Senate.

The Senatorial investigation Committee examined all the evidence, carefully. Then they issued an official statement, saying among other things: Ensign Phillip Pestaño did not commit suicide. He was murdered. He was shot through the head, somewhere outside of his stateroom, and the body was carried to his room and placed in the bed.. The crime was committed by more than one person. In spite of these findings, by the Senate, the family could not get justice. The case is still recorded, by the Navy, as suicide. For 12 years they have been knocking at the doors of those in power, to no avail…

email source: Pinoy World. 

A site dedicated to Philip Andrew: http://www.phillippestano.com