The Sandiganbayan recently handed down two decisions I am sure will please those who just abhor corruption in government. The first is the conviction of none other than Janet Lim Napoles, the mastermind behind the ten billion-peso pork barrel scam. Former Cagayan de Oro Rep. Constantino Jaraula was also convicted along with other government employees also involved in the said corruption. Napoles was first convicted in 2018 for plunder where she was sentenced to 40 years in prison. This new conviction just proves her hand behind the whole scam.
Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, and Bong Revilla were also charged by the NBI at the same time as Napoles but Enrile and Estrada were allowed to post bail even though their alleged offenses were not eligible for bail. Revilla was acquitted in 2018. Many other former and current lawmakers have been charged but no decisions have been made.
The Sandiganbayan also forfeited the assets of former AFP comptroller retired Lt. Gen. Jacinto Ligot worth P102 million pesos after they were deemed "unlawfully acquired". He could not explain how he was able to amass such assets based on his income. Ligot underwent an intense lifestyle check along with his wife where all his properties and accounts were uncovered.
Fortunately, justice has been served on these infamous cases. I remember how incredulous people felt when Napoles' scam was revealed. If Benhur Luy had not been rescued and exposed Napoles, the corruption would not have been exposed partly due to the involvement of some legislators. The Sandiganbayan has yet to give a decision on Enrile and Estrada, but if they were allowed to post bail under this administration well...
Ligot's case was part of the AFP corruption scandal in 2011 or the so-called "pabaon" of retired AFP chiefs of staff and generals. Former budget officer George Rabusa served as the whistleblower in the said scheme. This is also where the corrupt practices of former AFP comptrollers, generals Carlos Garcia and Ligot, were exposed. Garcia was able to escape imprisonment when a plea bargain was struck between him and the prosecution team apparently due to a weak case against him. Ligot was a different story. Both Ligot and his wife just couldn't explain their assets which were registered under their children and other relatives. It can be recalled that former AFP chief of staff Angelo Reyes committed suicide before being summoned to the Senate to explain the allegation against him. This speaks volumes even as several implicated generals vehemently denied receiving tainted money.
The wheels of justice in the country may be turning slower than that of a horse-drawn calesa, but they are turning. In the end, Napoles, Ligot, and others paid for their insatiable greed. They lived lavishly and enjoyed their assets while it lasted. Compare that to the lives they live today. Many more cases in the pork barrel scam are still pending in the courts. I hope justice finds its way and punishes the guilty. Napoles and the others could use the company.