Atty. Ferdinand Topacio. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her family were grateful for the “gift of justice given them,” the former President’s legal counsel said on Friday after the Pasay City Regional Trial Court dismissed the electoral sabotage case against her.
The third-termer Pampanga congresswoman was accused of ordering two local officials of tampering the results of the 2007 elections in Maguindanao to reflect a victory sweep for the administration bets. But the Pasay court acquitted Arroyo, saying the prosecution failed to prove her guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
READ: Pasay court dismisses electoral sabotage case vs Speaker Arroyo
The House Speaker has no more cases in court against her, and with this, her lawyer Ferdinand Topacio said: “Truly, the wheels of justice grind slowly, but they grind exceedingly fine.”
“The Arroyo family is grateful for the gift of justice given them, which they say is the best New Year’s gift they can ever hope to receive. They reiterate their faith in the justice system, and express their gratitude to those who stood by them in their trying times, and who never wavered in their belief of Mrs. Arroyo’s innocence,” he added in a statement.
Topacio also claimed the Pasay court’s granting of the demurrer to evidence, which he and Atty. Joselito Lomangaya filed on behalf of Arroyo, was “another great vindication” to Arroyo, who “has been persecuted without end during the previous administration.”
The Arroyo counsel also recalled how the electoral sabotage case was hastily filed by Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel in 2011, saying its sole purpose was to “defeat the temporary restraining order issued by the Supreme Court allowing Mrs. Arroyo to go to Singapore for medical treatment.”
Topacio also accused then-Commission on Elections Chairman Sixto Brillantes and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima of colluding to pin down Arroyo.
“An indication of the persecutorial nature of the electoral sabotage case is the fact that bail was granted to Mrs. Arroyo eight months after the case was filed, thus, showing that evidence of guilt is not strong,” he added.
Arroyo, an ally of President Rodrigo Duterte, was also cleared of plunder by the Sandiganbayan in relation to the National Broadband Network (NBN) contract with Chinese firm ZTE and the alleged misuse of P366-million fund from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
Her plunder cases before the Ombudsman have also been dismissed. /jpv
RELATED STORIES:
Sandigan dismisses Arroyo’s NBN-ZTE case
SC affirms dismissal of Arroyo plunder cases