Kangaroo Senate panel

FRONTLINE

Ninez Cacho-Olivares

10/27/2008

Sen. Miriam Santiago may have sealed her loss in her bid to be a member of the World Court in the Hague, as she has proved, through her draft decision on the euro generals that is now making the rounds for the members’ signatures, that not only does she reject the principle of due process, but she, along with her panel members, Sen. Mar Roxas and the foreign relations committee ex-oficio members, also gives a guilty verdict on several charges such as money laundering and graft, which have not even been presented much less proved — and they know it.

That type of justice is kangaroo justice.

To be clear, there is nothing wrong with a Senate panel probing the alleged irregularities with regard to the euro fund found in the possession of the now retired Philippine National Police (PNP) comptroller, Gen. Eliseo de la Paz, which was confiscated by the Russian authorities, but good grief! There was only one hearing and  no evidence was presented by the senators on their charges, all of whom accused the entire PNP delegation of money laundering and graft, apart from the administrative violations which included even the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) chief, and all because Santiago had an old political score to settle with Puno.

The Senate report, incidentally was readied a day after the one and only hearing and even before Santiago and Roxas rejected the PNP chief’s request for an executive session.

And this request was already deemed by Roxas as a script to cover up the crime. What crime was this and can he substantiate his charges?

What could have been done, instead of rejecting the PNP chief’s request for an executive session was for the panel to agree to the closed door session, on condition that if senators find that the session produced nothing substantial and was merely used as a ploy by the police to get out of the open hearing, then conditions could have been set to the session, one of which would be the condition that the senators would be free to state that which was disclosed in the session since the information was without value.

But no, they rejected the request outright and even demanded the resignation of all those delegates to the Moscow interpol convention.

And it was clear that they wanted the DILG chief and Jesus Verzosa out, and get De la Paz arrested and detained in the Senate

They talk of arresting De la Paz but no arrest warrant has been issued, besides which, Miriam and her colleagues in the panel didn’t even bother to follow procedures and refused to give those they accused and summoned the due process that must be given.

Then, in less than 24 hours, they ruled that all those they charged were guilty, recommending charges to be filed by the Ombudsman.

What else can that be called if not prejudgment and a decision by a kangaroo court?

Yet Santiago is to be the country’s — no Asia’s representative to the world court?

Miriam may be qualified for the post, as far as knowledge of the law goes. But what good are those qualifications if she proves herself to be a poor dispenser of fairness and justice, and allows her grudges to get the better of her judgment?

It is cold, impartial justice that is needed of a judge, and unfortunately, Miriam, as well as Roxas, Juan Miguel Zubiri and Francis Pangilinan showed nothing of this fairness and impartiality.

The charge of money laundering was cited in the Santiago draft. How has this been proved? Even the Central Bank official, during the hearing, stated quite clearly that the predicate crime of money laundering must be proved first. So why did these senators pound on the money laundering charge without having presented any evidence?

Similarly, there were charges of the euro funds as coming from jueteng money. Was there any proof presented by the senator-accusers that the money came from jueteng?

But they want them charged anyway, which is really an injustice because Santiago and Roxas, along with Pangilinan, know that those charges won’t stick — not with just that recommendation of the Senate.

But in the meantime, they did what they wanted to do — smear these officials without any proof and declare them guilty.

Miriam has shown that she shouldn’t be in the world court. And Roxas has proved too, that as a president, he would be that irresponsible in accusing people and deeming them guilty without any proof.

There certainly is danger ahead if we continue to have such type leaders.

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