Delfin Lee and charged Navy officers

If it had been any other case, the Court of Appeals would probably have cited for contempt the Philippine National Police (PNP) and ordered its chief, Director General Alan Purisima, arrested.

But the case against Globe Asiatique president Delfin Lee, charged with the nonbailable offense of syndicated estafa, whom the court virtually acquitted, is different.

If the appellate court had stood firm on its decision quashing the arrest warrant against Lee and preventing his trial by a lower court in Pampanga province, it would have been put to shame.

Its questionable decision would have been exposed to public view.

So the appellate court has chosen to keep quiet while its ruling is trampled upon, nay spit on, by the PNP.

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If Lee was not a billionaire—he allegedly stole P7 billion from the government’s Pag-Ibig Fund and from thousands of applicants for housing loans—do you think he would have been given a clean bill by the Court of Appeals?

No way, Jose!

Lee probably parted with a big amount of the supposed stolen money for him to get a virtual acquittal from the appellate court.

The Court of Appeals decision on Lee’s case was so blatant and shameless, it defies logic.

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It’s a good thing Purisima is head of the PNP.

Had it been someone else, Lee would probably have been released pronto when President Noy’s close ally, Mindoro Oriental Gov. Alfonso “Boy” Umali tried to intercede in his behalf.

Umali is treasurer of the President’s ruling Liberal Party.

But Purisima, who’s very close to the President, said no to an administration bigwig.

Whatever Umali’s justification is for calling up Purisima—that he wanted to be clarified on the basis for Lee’s arrest since the Court of Appeals had ruled in the businessman’s favor—it can be considered an obstruction of justice.

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When litigants who are poor come to the Court of Appeals for redress, their grievance is ignored.

Look at the young Navy officers charged with the alleged murder of Ensign Philip Pestaño in 1995 on board the BRP Bacolod City, who, needless to say, don’t have the means to buy their freedom.

The officers, who had a bright future in the service until they were charged with Pestaño’s death, were cleared by probers from the National Bureau of Investigation, the Western Police District, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and even by Dr. Raquel Fortun, a forensics expert.

They were victims of a power play as then Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, who cleared them, was suspected of giving unjust decisions during her watch by current Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales.

If the Court of Appeals would just look closely at the case of the Navy officers and not be motivated by money or outside interference, it would find them innocent.

If it quashes the arrest warrants for the Navy officers like it did in Lee’s case, it would be serving the ends of justice.

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Right now, the officers are being held at the Marine Barracks in Fort Bonifacio as the offense they are charged with is nonbailable.

Everybody in the Navy knows they are innocent.

Their continued detention has caused demoralization among their comrades in the Navy officer corps as well as the rank and file.