Legal minds would explain it as a breakdown in one or more of the 5 pillars of justice- the police investigation, the prosecution, trial, detention security, and the community’s vigilance. Failure of even just one of these pillars will result in the failure of justice to be carried out.
For the common Pinoy who may not be aware of the pillars of justice, there’s only one explanation- dalawa ang klase ng hustisya sa Pilipinas, ang para sa mapera at maimpluwensya; at ang para sa wala.
E paano pa nga daw maipapaliwanag ang malayang paglabas- masok at pamumuhay nang marangya ng ilang ‘high profile’ prisoners natin sa loob ng kulungan? Ang mga ‘high profiles’ ay kinabibilangan ng mga celebrities; those involved in celebrated cases; related or coming from a prominent/ influential family; and/ or a ranking official of any branch of government.
Ito ay muling napatunayan ng ating mga kababayan sa pagkakahuli by NBI operatives, on a tip from the tv show XXX noong isang buwan kay dating Batangas Gob ( at myembro ng politically- inclined Levistes at ex din ni Sen Loren) Jose Antonio Leviste sa harap mismo ng kanyang pag- aaring building sa Makati City. Leviste is serving a six to twelve- year jail sentence for the killing of his aide Rafael de las Alas in 2007.
The former governor slipped out of jail without the benefit of a ‘pass’ that should make his leave from his cell ‘official’. Matindi siguro sobra ang sakit ng kanyang ngipin kaya’t minabuti nyang lumabas nang wala man lang pinagpa- alaman. He said he had to see his dentist, Dr. Pio Tripon. This was belied by his dentist’s assistant who even showed the clinic’s dental appointment book on the day (May 18) when Leviste supposedly went to see his dentist. His visit was not reflected in the appointments record. The good dentist meantime, said Leviste had only had two dental appointments with him since September of last year.
In April also this year meantime, eto namang murder suspect na si Jason Ivler ang na front page sa mga dyaryo- he is enjoying special treatment at the Quezon City jail daw. Aba, may mga photos of Ivler partying (may inuman, of course) with family, other prisoners and women inside the prison pa!
Ivler, son of local artist Marlene Aguilar- Pollard (sis to local music icon Freddie Aguilar) is accused of the 2009 killing of Renato Victor Ebarle, Jr, a result of a traffic dispute between the two along Santolan Road in Quezon City in November 18, 2009.
Magulat ka naman because mother Marlene ang nagpatotoo pa- True, say ng irrepressible mom of Jason Ivler, parties are a way of life inside the prison and her son got invited to parties of the gangs inside (Sputnik, Bahala Na, etc). ‘Idol’ daw nila si Jason, according to the loving mom.
Of late, Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangundadatu and families/ friends of victims of the Maguindanao massacre of November, 2009 ang sya namang nagpatotoo ng ‘special treatment’ para sa mga maiimpluwensya at madadatung n na mga preso sa piitan.
Nangyari naman ito noon pa ring buwan ng Mayo nang magpilit ang grupo ni Gov Mangundadatu (mga abogado, kaanak ni Gob at ilan pang biktima) na magkaroon ng ‘on the spot’ inspection sa selda ng akusadong si Andal Ampatuan Sr. ( patriarch of the Ampatuan family believed to be the perpetrator of the massacre that killed 57 people including members of local media). ang mga prosecutors at members of media.
The request was rejected by prison authorities.
Ang galit na galit na Maguindanao Gob ay dagling nagsaksak ng isang USB sa bitbit na laptop computer at ipinalabas (sa panonood naman ng members of media) ang ilang mga video clips na nagpakita ng ‘special treatment’ ng mga kawani ng Bureu of Jail Management and Penology sa mga Ampatuan sa loob ng high- security prison at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City. Naroong nakalalabas sa basketball court (nang di nakauniporme ng preso kundi shorts/ tshirts lamang ang kasuotan) ang mga akusado at nag eestima ng mga bisita, kapamilya, at mga abugado, malayang nakagagamit ng cellphones (maski na ipinagbabawal ito sa piitan), samantalang ang mga sasakyan nila ay malayang lumalabas- pasok sa kampo.
Nagbabala si Mangundadatu na ang mga laman ng USB na iyon ang magpapabagsak sa mga masasamang kawani ng BJMP dahil marami pa raw syang mga bala ng ‘more explosive’ videos showing how special the Ampatuans are in detention..
Open secret na ang kalakarang ito sa mga kulungan dito sa atin- mula pa man yatang nauso ang ‘lagayan’ at ‘palakasan’.
To be fair naman, nagkakaroon naman ng mga pagsubok na tigilan na ang sistemang ito. May memorandum daw pinirmahan si Bureau of Corrections chief Ernesto Diokno (released 2 Dec/2010 and just two months after he was designated into the position) para sa mga hepe ng National Bilibid Prisons at Women’s Correctional na nagtatagubilin ng pagsusumite ng full reports sa mga movements of high profile inmates mula sa piitan papunta sa kanilang pinatutunguhan outside of prison facilities.
Paano nga anaman ay alam na nga ng balana ang kalakarang ‘pagapapasyal’ ng mga ‘sikat’ na bilanggo.
At unang ‘nadale’ na nga si Gob. Leviste who was in civilian clothes pa mandin when aprehended by the NBI- ito daw ay the nth time nyang paglabas at pagpasyal to see his employees at his LPL Building and office. Tanggal ang 9 na opisyales ng piitan sa nangyaring pagkabuko. Meantime, Diokno submitted his request for a leave of absence, subsequently approved by Justice Sec. Leila de Lima, to allow the department free and objective investigation into the incident.
Meantime, Jason Ivler is now detained at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City. He was transferred from the Quezon City jail after the release of a commitment order issued by Judge Bayani Vargas of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 219 on April 15 this year.
Si Gob. Mangundadatu, alam kong tutuparin nya ang kanyang pangako (at babalang) ‘explosive expose’ pag medyo really provoked by the Ampatuan family, lawyers and supporters.
Hmmm. Effective nga yatang talaga- I am talking about ‘panghihiya’ sa mga bwisit na corrupt sa ating lipunan. The public is realizing that mainam nga yatang hiyain na lang ang mga sukab para magtino- I expose tulad ng pagkakalat ng mga video nina Ivler/ Ampatuan na may espesyal na trato sa selda. Walang magagawa kung sinumang guard, pulis, or judge ang binayaran (patago, pailalim, at walang official receipt issued)… they will have to do what is right and just, what is written in the law, and what is ordered by the office.
And for our ending, let’s go back to the 5 pillars of justice- sabi nga ng mga may law background, kapag bumigay ang isa sa mga ito, patay na at tuluyang mapapalpak ang ating justice system.
The public and media are part of the last pillar, community vigilance. Napapatunayan natin na ang huling haliging ito ay mayrong napakalaking kakayahan upang masiguro ang katatagan ng apat pang natitirang haligi ng katarungan kung sakaling magkaminsan ay sila ay makalimot. Pwede silang pumansin at mamansin; pwede din silang maghatid- papuri sa maganda namang nagagawa ng apat na haligi; at higit sa lahat, kaya nilang magmatyag at magmasid, at mag- ulat nang walang kinikilangan at maghabol lamang dun sa tinatawag nating katotohanan.
THANK YOU, TORONTO!
