Fair trial is for all

The call of some members of the Senate to give the three senators - Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. - a fair trial is like a prick to the eyes of the Filipinos who are victims of mistrial, injustice and unfairness in their cases already disposed of or still pending before the courts of law.

The senators made this call as if they do not know that it is a basic, constitutional right of a person accused of a crime to be given just, speedy and fair trial. This right is available not only for the senators, but to every Filipino.

This is the malady in this republic. If members of a high society like the lawmakers, members of Cabinet and local government officials commit mistakes that tantamount to a crime, it would be trouble-free for them to call for fair and speedy trial. But for the poor, that becomes a farce.

The case Enrile, Estrada and Revilla are facing is plunder. Plunder is defined as a crime committed by "any public officer who, by himself or in connivance with members of his family, relatives by affinity or consanguinity, business associates, subordinates or other persons, amasses, accumulates or acquires ill-gotten wealth through a combination or series of overt criminal acts... in the aggregate amount or total value of at least P50,000,000.00." It's a big case. That is why we call public officials who stole big amount of taxpayers' money "big fish."

But just like the three senators who are accused of amassing multi-million peso from the P10 billion Priority Development Assistance Fund, other detention prisoners facing petty crimes need the government's attention to afford them such fair and speedy trial.

Thae worse is that no less than Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales call for a formation of special court to hear "pork barrel" scam cases of the senators, congressmen, and alleged mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles so to give them speedy and fair proceedings.

Can we hear also from them the formation of a special court to hear cases on those who are still in jail facing minor crimes with insufficient evidence, or to hear the murder cases against the Ampatuans for killing journalists in the infamous Maguindanao massacre?

There is so much ease in calling for fair trial for the three senators who are accused of stealing peoples' money. Yet, there is so much difficulty in calling for a just, speedy and fair trial for the detainees whose cases have trivial evidentiary weight.

Digoy Tanquiamco

Bayong, Cadulawan, Minglanilla