Incompetence through the years?
Two former high-ranking officers of the Philippine Navy have been convicted by the Sandiganbayan for malversation. This had to do with unliquidated cash advances made for the Naval Education and Training Center for medicine, food, and auto spare parts in the amount of P83,934. This was revealed when they were audited by the Commission on Audit. After thirteen years, the Sandiganbayan has convicted them. The court ordered them to return the P83,934 in addition to a possible prison sentence and were perpetually disqualified from holding public office.
Compare their case with other cases of graft and corruption and plunder that have recently been dismissed. The case of Sen. Revilla whose plunder case was dismissed because his guilt was apparently not established beyond reasonable doubt but nonetheless the court ordered him to return P124 million to the government. Many are still scratching their heads with this Sandiganbayan decision. Only lawyers seem to understand why. Then we have the series of cases of ill-gotten wealth against the Marcoses that have also been dismissed by the Sandiganbayan citing lack of evidence particularly the submission of mere photocopies of damning documents and even non-appearance of witnesses, even prosecution lawyers. The case against the Euro generals has also recently been dismissed despite clear evidence against them. I'm not saying the two Navy officers are innocent. Justice seems to be just the way it is in today's country. The small fry seem to be the ones that get caught, or in the case of the administration's drug war, the poor. In the meantime, suspected drug lords like Peter Lim are scot-free.
Didn't the Presidential Commission on Good Government get anything right in building their cases against Marcos' ill-gotten wealth all these years? Former Commission on Human Rights chairwoman Etta Rosales is now asking where the original documents that should have made the case stronger went. The original documents appear to be missing with only photocopies submitted as evidence prompting the court to dismiss the cases on the rule of "best evidence". There were no originals to compare the photocopies with. Witnesses have gone missing. According to Rosales, someone was even caught in the act of removing documents. This has to be proven as well.
If there are allegations like this, shouldn't there be an investigation as to why these cases seem to be losing key documents? Something Rosales is now asking Congress to do. Is it incompetence on the part of government prosecutors through the years or an intentionally poor performance to help allies or pin down enemies of this administration such as the case of former senator Trillanes' missing documents regarding his presidential pardon from then President Aquino? Just asking.
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