Bayan Muna General Counsel Neri Colmenares today scored Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales for criticizing the Supreme Court for giving Rep. Satur Ocampo special treatment in its decision to grant his release on bail.
It is quite dishonest for Justice Sec. Gonzales to say that the High Court gave special treatment to Rep. Ocampo in its decision to temporarily release him on bail. Ocampo only exercised his constitutional right to go to the Supreme Court and seek justice, Colmenares said.
The Supreme Court granted his petition for release upon payment of a P100,000 cash bond yesterday.
Murder is a non-bailable offense in the Philippines when the evidence of guilt is strong. The Supreme Courts grant of bail vindicates Ocampos position that the fabricated charges leveled against him by the Arroyo government is fatally flawed and irreparably weak.
The fabricated case against Ocampo is very weak, therefore the information is defective and does not stand a chance. This is why Sec. Gonzales is angry. He is in fact the one who gives special treatment to government cases against Ocampo, detained Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran and even those against Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Cayetano. These cases are prosecuted at a fast pace while cases involving extrajudicial killings are handled at a snails pace, Colmenares said.
For his part, Rep. Ocampo said that being the justice secretary, Gonzales should not be attacking the Supreme Court. It seems that his anger against me is overwhelming him that prevents him from thinking clearly. ###
