Baligod, 2 legal experts think Aquino admin guilty of ‘selective justice’

Selective justice exists in the Aquino administration, at least three legal experts said Friday, citing the P10-billion pork barrel scam case as an example.

The three who agreed with Vice President Jejomar Binay that the administration is singling out its political opponents in its fight against corruption were lawyer Levito Baligod, Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) national president Vicente Joyas, and San Beda College of Law dean Fr. Ranhilio Aquino

“This administration is timid to prosecute decadent allies, and brave to use the entire government apparatus to ram its political opponents,” Baligod said. “What Vice President Binay said is true. It is selective justice, it is immoral, and it is graft and corruption in itself.”

Baligod was a former lawyer for the whistleblowers in the pork barrel scam case, one of the biggest corruption scandals under the Aquino administration. He and the National Bureau of Investigation were the complainants in the cases that were filed with the Office of the Ombudsman.

Baligod earlier criticized Justice Secretary Leila de Lima for the delay in the filing of a third batch of pork barrel scam cases, where several administration allies like Technical Education and Skills Development Authority director general Joel Villanueva and Cagayan De Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez. were reportedly among the respondents.

Binay

Reacting to Binay's accusation, De Lima on Thursday had denied the "selective justice" under the current administration, saying the filing of cases against "big fish" like Binay and his family does not mean the government was singling anybody out.

Binay, who resigned from the Aquino Cabinet last Monday, and his son, Makati Mayor Junjun Binay, are both embroiled in alleged overpricing controversies involving construction projects in Makati. The vice president is also accused of having ill-gotten wealth.

President Benigno Aquino III had already said he and his Cabinet officials would be answering all of Binay's accusations soon.

For his part, Joyas, head of the 55,000-strong mandatory organization of lawyers in the country, also cited the delay in the third batch of pork cases as evidence to show how the Aquino administration is being selective in the personalities it is prosecuting.

“I do not agree with her,” he said, referring to De Lima.  “There is selective justice and that holds true up to this day.”

“We are still under a cloud of surprise why is there such a delay. There appears to be a selective justice. We are all aware there are many people involved and yet only three senators were charged,” he added.

Joyas said he doubts if cases regarding the pork barrel scam would ever be filed against administration allies.

Abad

Law dean Aquino, meanwhile, said the Aquino administration's “selection is clear.”

“Why were some hurriedly prosecuted and why does it take so long to conclude investigations against the President's allies? Has any high profile ally like Budget Secretary Florencio Abad been prosecuted?” he said.

Fr. Aquino was referring to how the first and second batches of pork barrel scam cases were filed some two months apart between September and November 2013 against known critics of the administration, including Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, Juan Ponce Enrile, and Ramon Revilla Jr.

Abad, while being identified by alleged scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles in the infamous "Napolist" as being among those who engaged in the anomalous fund scam, has yet to be included in the charges.

“The probe against Senators Enrile, Revilla, Estrada and Binay proceeded so fast. So that excuse of Sec. De Lima is lame,” said Fr. Aquino.

Baligod said he wants to know what is taking the Department of Justice too long to file the third batch of pork barrel scam-related cases.

“Every evidence needed is with DOJ already. Sec. De Lima herself confirmed in her June 13, 2014 public statement that the evidence is already complete. So I’m very disappointed with her latest statement, especially on the ruse ‘that more affidavits are need,” said Baligod.

De Lima had repeatedly said her team of investigators never considered political affiliations of the suspects, but insisted issues like signature forgery had led to a delay in the third batch. —KBK, GMA News