Youth group slams Arroyo acquittal from electoral sabotage case

MANILA, Philippines — Kabataan party-list denounced on Friday the dismissal of the electoral sabotage case against House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, saying it is another case of “injustice.”

“Arroyo’s acquittal is another brick in the wall of the ever-growing list of injustices the government has done to the masses,” the progressive group said in a statement.

“In the courts of the fascists, Arroyo has had justice served on a silver platter. But in the court of public opinion, her recent acquittal is another conviction to her long list of corrupt and despotic actions directed to the broad masses,” it added.

The youth group also accused President Rodrigo Duterte of “successfully enabl(ing) Arroyo to be cleared of all charges against her, and thus to ensure her clean sheet under his regime.”

It also recalled how Arroyo’s presidency in 2001 to 2010 had been marred with corruption and human rights violation issues.

Arroyo, a 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 has cleared Arroyo, saying the prosecution failed to prove her guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

READ: Pasay court dismisses electoral sabotage case vs Speaker Arroyo

There are no more pending cases in court against the House Speaker. The Duterte ally had also been 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. /ee

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