Ombudsman has reason to protest

“Morales IN silent protest vs JPE bail” went the headline of a front-page article in the Feb. 3 issue of the Inquirer. Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales was railing against the delay in the resolution of her motion for reconsideration of the Supreme Court’s grant of bail to Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile. Having come from that Court, she knew only too well there is no limit to its inaction on anything! Everything depends on the whims of the justices!

In ruling to grant Enrile bail, the Court had bent over backwards and grasped at straws of nonexistent jurisprudence. It used “humanitarian considerations” as basis—theretofore unheard of as ground for bail! The 91-year-old Enrile then looked too sick and frail to last another day in continued detention. Justice Lucas Bersamin penned that ruling which was concurred in by Justices Presbitero Velasco Jr., Arturo Brion, Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, Diosdado Peralta, Mariano del Castillo, Jose Perez and Jose Mendoza.

Those eight justices were obviously taken for fools! After he was released, did Enrile look like he needed to get home quickly for a much-needed bed rest? No! He went straight to a salon for a hair-dye and spruce-up, and moseyed over to the Senate to deliver speeches and campaign for Vice President Jejomar Binay!

Morales has every reason to be livid in the face of the Supreme Court’s naivete (or just playing favorites?) and trivialization of her efforts to go after big-time crooks in government!

—MARIA MARGARITA AYTONA,

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