DOJ chief to ‘people’s court’ convenors: File your case with CPP ‘kangaroo court’

Malacañang yesterday said organizers of the "people’s court" may as well file their complaints before the "kangaroo court" of the communist rebels, deriding the opposition’s venue to "try" President Arroyo.

"The can file it with ‘Ka Roger’ Rosal if they want because he said there is a kangaroo court there that could try the President," Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said in a press conference, referring to Gregorio Rosal, spokesman for the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).

"They may have a tribunal but they have no basis at all," Gonzalez said of the Citizens’ Congress for Truth and Accountability (CCTA), which, under the leadership of former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, will hold "hearings" on charges of electoral fraud, graft and corruption and human rights violations against the President.

The CCTA had tried to "subpoena" the President to appear at the trial but the notice of proceedings was torn in shreds and swept off the streets near Malacañang.

Gonzalez pointed out Guingona’s group knows "it is only (through) an impeachment case that you can summon the President."

"They know that they cannot summon a sitting president. They know that because they are also lawyers," he stressed.

Gonzalez went on to say that the CCTA’s process is a mere "annoyance and unjust vexation."

"Why should we dignify that kind of process? What is the basis of that?" he said, calling the CCTA’s "kind of exercise" an "aberration."

Executive Secretary Ermita shared the same view, saying the detractors and critics of the President were merely trying to play to the media and the public as their actions had no legal basis.

Ermita said such a mockery of the judicial process was only for communists that killed people after acting as prosecutors and judges in kangaroo courts.

"We have the regular courts and this is an insult to them," Ermita said.

Malacañang, meanwhile, warned CCTA conveners not to test the limits of the law and taunt authorities into arresting and filing cases against them.

At the same time, Palace officials brushed aside criticisms against Tomas Emerito Magdangal, an employee of the Office of the Press Secretary, who tore up the "notice of proceedings" delivered by the CCTA’s representatives to summon the President for trial.

Ermita said it would be up to the Department of Justice (DOJ) to determine whether the CCTA conveners and members could be charged with inciting to sedition.

"While they can be charged, it is one (way) to look at the legal aspect and another to look at the political aspect," Ermita said.

"For the moment, I think the authorities are being drawn into taking an action that would cause some uproar because of any (adverse) actions that authorities might do. Probably they just want to draw the authorities into making arrests and make a big thing out of it," Ermita said.

He noted government lawyers could easily study and determine the elements of sedition or inciting to sedition and thus the "people’s court" organizers should not abuse their rights.

"At the proper time, maybe if they continue, we might be forced to apply the full force of the law so we can address the problem," he said.

Ermita noted the CCTA’s issues had already been resolved by the House of Representatives last September when the administration-dominated chamber junked the impeachment complaint against the President for lack of basis.

"You can easily see through what they want to happen, that’s why we are being very cautious in addressing them," Ermita said.

He also mocked the fact that Guingona was appointed head of the congress presidium of the CCTA and signed the summons for the President.

Ermita said the "presidium" existed only in former communist Russia.

Act was ‘acceptable’

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye, for his part, refused to say whether he sanctioned the actions of Magdangal but he said his explanation was "self-explanatory and acceptable."

Magdangal said he tore the notice into pieces because it was pure baloney and baseless.

"We stand by the statement," Bunye said.

Ermita said they would no longer dignify the actions of those from the CCTA.

"Why would I give that too much importance by going there and accepting it?

"In all levity and insidiousness, should you really dignify such an act," he said.

Ermita stressed they would not consider any communication from this group official and would not respond to them formally anymore.

Meanwhile, two administration lawmakers added earlier criticisms on the creation of the "people’s court," calling it "insane."

"Whoever thought of this idiocy should be put in a mental institution. Since they have set up a fake court, then they should serve their subpoena to a fake president," Malabon-Navotas Rep. Federico Sandoval said yesterday.

Sandoval and colleague Antonio Cuenco of Cebu City called on Filipinos to "ignore" the antics of the people’s court.

Forming the people’s court, they said, was "a desperate move to cloak its unfounded accusations versus the administration’s credibility."

"Since they are playing bahay-bahayan (play house) with a bogus court, I suggest that they try serving a summons to someone claiming to be president. They might as well run a circus to give people a real good laugh," Cuenco said. — With Aurea Calica, Delon Porcalla