Solon: Arroyo being freed ‘great blow’ to PH justice system
A party-list representative described on Tuesday the granting of the petition of former President and incumbent Pampanga representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to dismiss her plunder case at the Sandiganbayan as a “great blow” to the country’s justice system.
Kabataan party-list Rep. Sarah Elago said that releasing Arroyo paints a bad picture of the Philippines’ justice system as an institution which allows former presidents involved in plunder cases to remain unpunished.
“Mrs. Arroyo’s eventual release casts a dark shadow over the Philippine justice system–a system that lets political prisoners to remain incarcerated for trumped-up charges for decades, while letting Philippine presidents go scot-free despite being caught red-handed in raiding the public coffers,” Elago said in a statement.
READ: Palace calls for respect of Arroyo acquittal
The neophyte lawmaker blamed the appointment of eight justices in the high court during Arroyo’s term and the government’s allegedly “lackadaisical” handling of the former President’s case as factors which sped up her acquittal.
“By freeing Arroyo from detention, the nation’s justice system is clearly sending this message: if you’re powerful enough, and you have friends and allies all over government, it’s just OK to commit plunder, or any other crime,” Elago said.
The eight justices who ruled in favor of the President were: Justice Presbitero Velasco Jr., Justice Teresita de Castro, Justice Arturo Brion, Justice Diosdado Peralta, Justice Lucas Bersamin, Justice Mariano del Castillo, Justice Jose Perez and Justice Jose Mendoza.
She quoted political thinker Karl Marx in slamming the Supreme Court’s decision.
“As a great man once said, history repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce,” she said.
Elago asked President Rodrigo Duterte to pursue charges against Arroyo and former President Benigno Aquino III.
But her request might be turned down as the President believed that there was no good case against Arroyo.
“I talked to her (Arroyo). Sabi ko (I said), if I become President, ipa-pardon kita (I will grant you pardon) not because you are my friend but I also believe that there is no good case against you, as a prosecutor and a lawyer,” the incoming President told reporters last May.
READ: Duterte: If elected, I will release Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
In an 11-4 vote, the Supreme Court granted Arroyo’s petition seeking the dismissal of her remaining plunder case before the Sandiganbayan.
READ: SC junks remaining Arroyo plunder case, sets her free
“Wherefore, the Court grants the petitions for certiorari, annuls and sets aside the resolutions issued by the Sandiganbayan on April 6, 2015 and September 10, 2015…orders the immediate release from detention of said petitioner…” the high court said. Arroyo asked the high court to dismiss her case for lack of evidence.
READ: Arroyo on acquittal: Justice, righteousness prevailed
The four justices who dissented were Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, and Associate Justices Marvic Leonen and Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa. CDG/rga
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