“Even if justice takes time to be served, the law must prevail in the end.”
We ‘re all familiar with the old saying that “justice delayed is justice denied.” Well, maybe not in all instances.
Two recent developments give us ample hope that, just when we thought that our justice system was already beyond redemption, it showed it was still working.
In the first case, a Taguig court recently convicted 17 members of the Abu Sayyaf group over the kidnapping and serious illegal detention of 19 foreigners and two Filipinos in 2000.
In a 157-page decision promulgated on October 16, the Taguig City Regional Trial Court Branch 153 found the Abu Sayyaf members guilty of 21 counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention with ransom, and sentenced each of them to life in prison for each count. They were also ordered to pay their victims P300,000 in moral, civil and exemplary damages.
The Abu Sayyaf kidnapped the 21 at gunpoint from a diving resort on Sipadan Island in Malaysia in April 2000.The victims were taken by boat to Talipao, Sulu and held captive in Jolo, Sulu while the bandits demanded ransom from the hostages’ families and their governments. The hostages were released over several months after ransom was paid to the kidnappers.
The RTC said that based on the evidence presented, the accused and their cohorts were “complicit” in the kidnapping of the hostages to extort ransom money from them or their families and the government.
It also found that the alibis of the accused were not supported by any reliable evidence and gave credence to the positive identification and consistent testimony of the prosecution’s witnesses.
“From the foregoing, it is evident that the kidnappers, the herein accused, acted in concert in kidnapping and detaining the hostages,” the court ruling read. “While others took active participation in the taking of the victims, while others detained and guarded their actions, demonstrated a carefully laid out plan to execute the crimes charged,” it added.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla lauded Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Hazel Decena-Valdez for her “perseverance and hard work,” which led to the conviction of the notorious terrorists. “Your devotion, courage and relentless efforts to pursue justice by all means are truly astonishing. Thank you for being a testament that justice will never be denied, regardless of who or how strong the enemy may seem. Your resilience has indeed withstood the forces of terror and oppression which serve as an inspiration to us all,” the DOJ chief said.
We’re glad that justice has also been served in the case of former Maguindanao governor Sajid Islam Ampatuan, now vice mayor of Shariff Saydona Mustapha town in the province, who stands to lose his seat and face life in prison after the Sandiganbayan found him guilty of graft and malversation of public funds.
In a 66-page decision, the anti-graft court sentenced Ampatuan to eight to 12 years in prison for graft and life imprisonment for malversation of public funds over the anomalous spending of P400 million in public funds meant for the construction and rehabilitation of farm-to-market roads in Maguindanao which were not implemented.
His conviction for graft and malversation also means he is perpetually disqualified from holding any public office, affecting his 2022 electoral victory for vice mayor of Shariff Saydona Mustapha town in Maguindanao.
For his malversation conviction, Ampatuan was also ordered to pay the government P393 million “representing the value of the amount malversed.” “As restitution, accused Ampatuan is further ordered to pay the same amount of P393 million… through the Bureau of Treasury, with interest of six percent per annum from the finality of this decision until fully paid,” according to the Sandiganbayan.
The case stemmed from the agreements the provincial government entered into with the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in 2009 for the construction and rehabilitation of farm-to-market roads.
Despite repeated demands from the DAR to account for the funds, the Office of the Ombudsman said the respondents failed to submit any supporting documents such as liquidation reports, list of beneficiaries and certificates of acceptance of services or of the finished projects.
In a democratic setting, we expect the swift dispensation of justice. But even if justice takes time to be served, the law must prevail in the end. Where a crime has been committed, then there should be punishment if the offender is found guilty.
(Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)
