Lawyer hopes Noy won’t suffer GMA fate

MANILA, Philippines - Human rights lawyer Harry Roque is hoping President Aquino will not suffer the fate of his predecessor, detained Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, when he steps down from office in June 2016.

Roque, a professor at the University of the Philippines College of Law, lamented how the legal processes have been skewed under the daang matuwid (straight path) administration, citing the report of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.

“Hopefully, President Aquino’s rights will be respected when it is his turn to be prosecuted for the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) and the Malampaya scam,” he said in a statement.

Roque has vowed to press charges against Aquino when he loses his immunity.

He added that the Working Group report, which stemmed from the complaint filed by lawyer Amal Alamuddin, wife of actor George Clooney, before the UN Human Rights Committee last March, “is an indictment of this administration’s ignorance of human rights law.”

Alamuddin has asked the UN-HRC to call on the Philippine government under Aquino to issue a public apology for violating the rights of Arroyo – now detained on non-bailable plunder charges – under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

“It is sad that this administration has once again shown that it is inept both in the field of human rights and criminal prosecution, which resulted in the UN siding with former President Arroyo,” Roque stated.

Aquino has remained adamant on Arroyo’s continued detention. He disagreed with a House resolution authored by his allies – mostly lawyers – seeking the release of Arroyo based on humanitarian grounds.

He argued that placing Arroyo under house arrest would defeat the purpose of her being placed under hospital arrest. He pointed out that Arroyo is in hospital because of a health issue and that placing her under house arrest would not resolve this. He also hinted that if health concerns are no longer an issue, the former president should be brought instead to a detention center.

He insisted that the evidence against Arroyo is strong and that she should remain in jail until after a final ruling is made.

Press Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said all the legal processes have been observed in the Arroyo trial and that while Manila is a signatory to the UN pact, domestic laws still prevail.

“There is an ongoing judicial process in the Philippine courts, which has sole jurisdiction to decide on such matters. The Philippine government or any international body for that matter cannot interfere nor influence the course of an independent judicial proceeding,” he added.

Arroyo is detained (currently under hospital arrest) for plunder, a non-bailable offense, in connection with the alleged questionable use of a P360-million intelligence fund of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office – an agency under the Office of the President.

Of those charged, only two – including Arroyo – remain in detention. The other accused were freed after filing a demurrer to evidence, a move that basically asked for the dismissal of the charge against them citing the prosecution’s failure to prove guilt.

Aside from plunder, Arroyo was also accused of electoral sabotage – also a non-bailable offense – for her role in the May 2007 polls.