THE crusader for “Daang Matuwid” — President Benigno Aquino III — says he does not mind giving humanitarian considerations to one of the most high profile senators charged in connection to the pork barrel scandal — 90-year-old Senator and former Senate president Juan Ponce Enrile.
PNoy says the Sandiganbayan would consider Enrile’s old age and frail condition in making a decision whether to detain him or not, once a warrant of arrest is issued against him.
The President is not alone in this humanitarian stand. Some Philippine senators have already asked the Sandiganbayan to grant Enrile hospital arrest based on humanitarian reasons.
Meantime, the Philippine National Police General Hospital inside Camp Crame is being readied for Enrile if the need arises.
If the results of Balitang America’s daily online poll will be our indicator, it seems our kababayans here in America are less forgiving than President Aquino and some legislators.
A big majority of those who voted— 81 percent — say Enrile should be in regular detention cells. Only 19 percent agree with PNoy that he should be put under hospital arrest for humanitarian reasons.
Meantime, kababayans are even more hawkish when it comes to opposing any special treatment reportedly being given to the two other VIP senators now detained in special detention bungalow cells in Camp Crame.
Ninety-one percent contend that these senators should not even be put in these special detention cells just because they are VIP senators. In fact, they argue that these public servants have missed the opportunity to exemplify to the public that nobody should be above the law, and definitely nobody should be getting any special treatment regardless of their stature and power in society.
Only nine percent give weight to these Senators’ “honorable’” positions in government, and say they should still be accorded the respect due to any public official while the trial is going on.
Talks have been circulating about the possibility that Revilla, Estrada and Enrile may even be granted bail despite being charged with plunder, a non-bailable offense.
However lawyers representing these senators argue that their clients should be granted bail because they say there is no substantial evidence against them.
Attorney Ted Laguantan, who is the Legal Counsel for the US Pinoys for Good Governance, told Balitang America reporter Rommel Conclara that it is now up to the Sandiganbayan, the Philippines’ version of the Court of Appeals, to decide whether or not they can receive bail.
“The justices have a lot of discretion within the guidelines of the law,” Laguatan said in a report. “They could, if they wish to, grant bail despite the fact that the accused are being charged with plunder. They may give certain reasons why bail is appropriate, such as, for instance, if they thought there was not enough evidence to convict them they could, on their discretion, do that.”
Laguatan believes they will not be granted bail for different reasons.
“It’s hard to say but based on the evidence and based on the mood of the people at the moment, which is also a factor, it’s unlikely they will grant bail because you will have a lot of reaction from the people,” Laguatan opined.
Laguatan added that kababayans are closely monitoring the pork barrel case and whatever developments in the investigation are being scrutinized.
“Many Filipinos were so frustrated and disappointed by the fact that none of the Marcoses or the Marcos cronies were convicted or prosecuted,” said Laguatan. “So they got away with billions of the people’s money. Now with this development they are filled with new hope that hopefully there is a future for the Philippines for a better government and true justice for the Filipino people.”
Laguatan may be right on this take. Almost all of the viewers of Balitang America who voted on the daily poll — 98 percent — said these three senators, and all those charged in connection to the pork barrel scam should NOT be granted bail for non-bailable crimes.
Many comments raised concerns about the culture of impunity in the Philippines. They contend that if those who committed this transgression against the country and the people of the Philippines are able to get away with it because of their power, money, and connections, then justice will forever be elusive and that corruption will forever be there to stay.
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Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos
