It was justice delayed but could not be denied. The Supreme Court, after some three years, dismissed the plunder case against former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for insufficiency of evidence. The charges filed by the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the transfer of funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office was merely ministerial when Arroyo wrote a marginal note approving PCSO general manager Rosario Uriarte’s memo the transfer of some P360 million as intelligence funds for the Office of the President. Uriarte is at large and believed hiding abroad. While the funds were transferred to the Office of the President, it was never proven that the former president profited from it.
All the other accused in the case were granted bail except for Arroyo who was considered a trophy prisoner for the vindictive then-President Benigno Aquino III.
It was a long wait but relief came for the frail and sick former President, now a congresswoman from Pampanga.
But there’s a hitch to Arroyo’s immediate release: A last-minute effort by the Ombudsman to charge her with additional charges in connection with the same case plus the SC decision that still has to be distributed to all the 15 justices particularly to those who dissented in the case dismissal.
There’s speculation that Aquino’s vindictiveness has something to do with keeping Arroyo detained at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center..
Take Senator Leila de Lima, who said Arroyo’s acquittal was “unfortunate” and came at a time when the government was in the middle of an anti-corruption drive. De Lima should realize she’s now a senator of the Republic and no longer Aquino’s lackey. What if people called her election to the Senate as “unfortunate?” She was, after all, as justice secretary, responsible for filing a weak case against Arroyo. This then prompted the high court to dismiss the case for insufficient evidence.
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales is attempting to salvage the weak case her office filed with the Sandiganbayan. It is doubtful the Supreme Court will reverse its ruling but could due course to another case if it finds merit in the new evidence to be presented by the state.
Then, there’s wild speculation that the Arroyo case was dismissed as soon as the Duterte administration took over. There’s no direct link between Arroyo and Duterte. The real reason this case dragged on was because Aquino wanted Arroyo detained even if the evidence against her was weak. This was a deprivation of Arroyo’s human right for a speedy trial. Even a United Nations body condemned her detention.
One’s mobility is limited when confined to a small hospital room. It is just as bad being incarcerated in a regular prison cell. Even if Arroyo has not been convicted, her confinement at the VMMC is time lost and can be considered as time served if convicted. But because the case was dismissed, this is precious time lost without compensation. This was the cruel treatment she got from BS Aquino. This is time that could have been spent for Mrs. Arroyo to get treatment from medical experts abroad for her deteriorating spinal column ailment.
There is a saying that what goes around comes around. It will be Noynoy Aquino’s turn to face justice when the slew of corruption charges in connection with his illegal use of the Disbursement Acceleration Program funds are proven. Facing the same charges are his Budget Secretary Florencio Abad who concocted the DAP that was used to bribe senators for the conviction and ouster of the late Chief Justice Renato Corona.
Arroyo, now Pampanga representative, is not a flight risk. She is known worldwide as a former president. Why not let her seek medical treatment abroad? Once she is cured and is in healthier condition, she could face the additional case.
Meanwhile, Pulse Asia, in a lavish recent poll conducted in the first two weeks of July, gave President Duterte a 90-percent trust rating. Isn’t this survey too early to determine the people’s true sentiment ? Pulse Asia should have waited at least three months for the Duterte presidency before making a conclusion on how much people trust him.
The spate of killings of suspects in the illegal drugs campaign is raising some eyebrows among human rights groups including the United Nations.