The Iglesia Ni Cristo’s call decrying selective justice happening under the Aquino administration, particularly by the Department of Justice, is not a new thing.
In previous reports, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines National President Vicente M. Joyas; Levito Baligod, an anticorruption crusader and lawyer; Fr. Ranhilio Aquino, dean of the San Beda College of Law Graduate School and University of the Philippines law Prof. Harry Roque Jr. agreed with the position that the Department of Justice (DOJ) appears to have employed double standard in its investigation and prosecution of corruption anomalies, particularly the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam.
Business Mirror ran a news item on this on June 26.
“This administration is timid to prosecute decadent allies, and brave to use the entire government apparatus to ram its political opponents,” the newspaper quoted Baligod as saying.
Baligod was a former lawyer of whistle-blowers in the PDAF scam led by Benhur Luy.
“It is selective justice, it is immoral, and it is graft and corruption in itself,” he said.
In the report, IBP National President Joyas also noted the Philippine government’s delay in the filing of the third batch of PDAF cases where several administration allies have been implicated just proved selective justice under the Aquino administration.
“I do not agree with her [Justice Secretary Leila de Lima]. There is selective justice and that holds true up to this day,” he said.
“We are still surprised 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,” the lawyer was quoted in the report.
Dean Aquino of San Beda College of Law was also quoted by Business Mirror as saying that the double standard on investigations against opposition lawmakers and officials vis-à-vis administration allies has been very glaring.
“The ‘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 B. Abad been prosecuted?” Business Mirror quoted Aquino as saying.
Abad was included on the so-called Napolist submitted by alleged PDAF scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles to de Lima early last year along with her supposedly tell-all testimony on the multibillion-peso racket.
Lawyer Roque also criticized de Lima for denying the selective justice statement of Vice-President Jejomar Binay.
“She’s playing blind and deaf to the fact that no one in the administration has been indicted despite COA [Commission on Audit] reports against administration allies on Pdaf and despite the Supreme Court ruling on DAP [Disbursement Acceleration Program],” stressed Roque, who was a petitioner in SC cases on PDAF and DAP.
“There’s just no reason for the delay when you have common [pieces of] evidence, COA reports and whistle-blowers. It’s foot dragging since they don’t want to file,” Business Mirror quoted Roque as saying.
