An SC rule inapplicable to VIPs

Former President Gloria Arroyo was caught on tape in a clandestine conversation with a former Commission on Elections commissioner in what was then infamously known as the “Hello, Garci” scandal. While at first denying it was her voice, her stooges later admitted the undeniable.

Against accusations that she was trying to have the election results rigged, Arroyo countered: “I am sorry… I only wanted to protect my votes.”  She must have thought Filipinos were that stupid.

Electoral sabotage is a nonbailable offense. The case against Arroyo was laughed out of court for “insufficient” evidence!  Is our justice system really that crooked, too?

We cannot help thinking the same thing after the Supreme Court acquitted Arroyo in a plunder case by jumping the gun on the Sandiganbayan, which it would never have done in ordinary cases. Practicing lawyers swear the Supreme Court cannot be bothered to review a mere denial of demurrer (a motion to dismiss for insufficiency of the prosecution’s evidence), always preferring to await the completion of trial (after hearing what the accused has to say in his/her defense) and rendition of final judgment by the trial court. That is, “in ordinary cases”—but not in cases involving VIPs?

—RIMALDO PACIFICO, pacific.rim.aldo@gmail.com