vonjobi: wow, congratulations! kelan ang trip? i hope i'll be around when you come. had a good time with diosa last...
Keith Bacongco: Knowing Nograles and his Big Boss...garapalan na lang talaga.
Vinia Datinguinoo Mukherjee: Congratulations, PCIJ! Mabuhay kayo!
Lead Philippines: But without credible mass media there, what is left to protect the people..?
vonjobi: it's juned sOniDo.

Latest Message 5 months ago

hopeless_race : Lets not just focus sa mga malversation of funds, sa mga overpricing..ating pagtuunan ng atensyon ang diskarte ng mga politiko na umuutang ng bilyon bilyon sa gobyerno."Small time" ang ibang pamamaraan ng pangungurakot kumpara sa pag-utang sa gobyerno ng bilyon na tunay ngang masasabing "pinaka big-time" at wala pang sabit.
hopeless_race : Mukhang tikom ang bibig ng lahat pagdating sa diskarte ng mga politiko sa pagutang ng mga bilyon bilyon sa gobyerno na tinatakbuhan. Itong pamamaraan na ito ang tunay na kumakain ng malaking porsyento ng ating national budget batay na din sa sinasabi ng world bank.
hopeless_race : Pakisilip naman po ang mga utang ni Villar sa BSP, ang mga utang nila RAMON JACINTO, RONNIE ZAMORA, JOE DE VENECIA at madami pang ibang mga pulitiko. Iilan lamang yan sa mga nababanggit sa balita na may mga malalaking utang sa gobyerno.
hopeless_race : Nagmimistulang "small time" lamang ang malversation of funds kumpara sa laki ng kinakamal ng mga umuutang sa gobyerno. At ito ay malinaw na natatakbuhan dahil hindi nga naman pwede makulong ang may-ari ng kumpanya sa pagkaka-utang lamang. Tunay na mga tuso at magagaling sa batas itong mga politiko natin. Masasabi ko na malamang lahat ng mga politiko ganito ang diskarte...wala pang kulong.
hopeless_race : PCIJ pkitingnan naman po ang mga gaya ni Villar na my malaking utang sa Gobyerno pero tinatakbuhan. Magtatayo ng kumpanya at uutang ng bilyon bilyon sa gobyerno ng walang balak bayaran. Tunay ngang walang nakukulong sa utang...ito ang prinsipyo ginagamit ng mga politiko ntin kaya nakakapagtaka kung san napupunta ang daang bilyong pera ng gobyerno.
hopeless_race : Sana itreat naman po ng media ang hacienda luisita at mendiola massacre na parang MAGUINADANAO MASSACRE. Ipublicized ang mga katotohanan at ipakita sa tao ang karumaldumal na pinaggagawa sa mga farmers dun. Untouchable po ba sila cory at danding at hindi magawang batikusin ng media about these two massacres?
hopeless_race : Kapag napaguusapan ang mendiola at hacienda luisita massacre ay parang walang nangyari at parang hindi big deal. Anu po ba ang pinagkaiba ng dalawang nabanggit na massacre sa maguindanao massacre?
hopeless_race : Its sad that we pinoys are blind to the fact of what had happened in mendiola and hacienda luisita. Ang tanong..bakit ang media ay hindi manlang matackle ang ganitong usapin? Takot ba sila kay cory at danding?
hopeless_race : Wilkins" brand, for P1.4 billion.-1999 Sugarland Multi-Food Corp. for P2.9 billion 2001- Purefoods Corp P7 billion P60 billion Coca-Cola ... See More 2002- Cosmos Bottling Corp. from RFM Corp. for P14.1 billion October 2008- GSIS' shares in Meralco worth PHP30 Billion. December 2008- country's biggest oil refiner, Petron Corporation. international company shopping spree: Australian boutique brewer J. Boag and Son for A$96 million in 2000. $97 million for Thai Amarit Brewery Ltd $35.5 mi
hopeless_race : Gud am..glad to be back.
jr_lad : rip mr. alecks pabico. you'll be greatly missed!
sevens21 : Dati input mo lng name at SSS ID makukuha mo agad STATIC INFO...
sevens21 : tawag ka sa HOTLINE nila walang ANSWER grrr we need pa namn ng static info SSS Gising!!!
sevens21 : Gawa naman po kayo ng article about SSS. Pangit ng site nila dali ma blocked ng account
guest_899 : we must check the background of each potential candidates to avoid having another big mistake like GMA
guest_899 : congratulations to PCIJ, more power and God Bless !
jazzymuver : how did Arroyo swallow that kind of things!! how come that she just spend the money our countrymen for her own sake!!
guest_3664 : i would be glad if u can include the investigation of the manner public officials announce infra projects as per COA regulation. It is frustrating to see their faces on the tarpaulin instead of the prescribed information like name of project, date of implementation,amount of contract, source/s of fund, among other things. This is very rampant here in Marikina. Thanks and more power on your noble endeavors. We need people like you to have make our country great again.
jhanz_08 : im making research on R.A 9136...with rgards to the privatization of NPC..could someone out there can let me understand more bout this matter?why was monopoly dismantled?email me..jhanycem@yahoo.com...thanks much
erika marie : P.S.:) my paper is due next week and i do hope someone could provide me these reports coming from reliable resources thank you ulit.
erika marie : P.S.
guest_4275 : i am currently doing a study regarding political killings in the philippines. could someone out there please send me human rights reports under Aquino and Ramos administration. you could send it at my email: erikamariet@yahoo.com your response would surely be very much appreciated. thank you everyone. god bless.
guest_4275 : i am currently doing a study for my paper regarding political killings in the philippines. i noted that there are no human rights reports during the Aquino and Ramos administration. could someone out there please send me reports regarding these matter? i do hope these reports came from reliable resources you could send it in my email; erikamariet@yahoo.comyour response would surely be appreciated. thanks everyone. god bless.
jayson bourne : gusto ko po maging member ng PCIJ, panu po ba? may application po ba? sana mapadalhan nyo ako ng info sa email ko... www.jboxpenshoppe@yahoo.com
jayson bourne : cory is OK, but kris & Noynoy sensationalize masyado...
guest_9891 : LABAN pa rin!
meow : boycotts worked during marcos years. how about doing it now against the businesses of the con-ass congressmen?
meow : aside from 168, what other establishments can we boycott that belong to the arroyos and their cronies?
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SC rules in favor of Batasan 6; scores DOJ’s lack of impartiality

Posted by: Avigail Olarte | June 1, 2007 at 8:46 pm
Filed under: 2007 Elections, In the News, State of Emergency, The Judiciary

THE Supreme Court today ordered the justice department to dismiss the rebellion case against six progressive party-list representatives and their co-accused, including alleged communist leaders and renegade soldiers, who allegedly conspired in a leftist-rightist plot to overthrow the government.

In a 23-page decision penned by Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, the Supreme Court ordered the dismissal of the cases for lack of probable cause and due process. The High Court scored Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales and the prosecutors for their lack of impartiality, stating that there were “obvious involvement of political considerations in (their) actuations.”

Read the Supreme Court decision on Crispin B. Beltran vs. People of the Philippines, et al.

“(We) cannot emphasize too strongly that prosecutors should not allow, and should avoid giving the impression that their noble office is being used or prostituted, wittingly or unwittingly, for political ends,” the Court said.

The Court said it is “only by strict adherence to the established procedure may the public’s perception of the impartiality of the prosecutor be enhanced.”

In a radio interview, Gonzales said the DOJ was not meddling in the affairs of politics, saying it merely did its job processing the rebellion cases.

In April 2006, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed rebellion charges before the Makati Regional Trial Court against former Senator Gringo Honasan; party-list Reps. Crispin Beltran, Satur Ocampo, Joel Virador, Teodoro Casino, Liza Maza, Rafael Mariano; and 42 others after finding probable cause that they “conspired and confederated with each other” to overthrow the government.

According to the Supreme Court, there is no sufficient evidence to prove that Beltran committed the crime of rebellion, which would constitute taking part in an armed public uprising against the government.

Early in 2006, two witnesses alleged that Beltran and the five representatives met with Magdalo member 1st Lieutenant Lawrence San Juan in Padre Garcia, Batangas, days before the foiled coup attempt in February 2006.

The Court further said that Beltran’s mere membership in the Communist Party of the Philippines, which he has denied, does not constitute rebellion. Also, there is no proof on allegations that he used his pork barrel funds to buy arms for the underground movement.

It added that Beltran’s arrest was illegal as none of the arresting officers saw Beltran commit the crime of rebellion. Beltran was arrested without warrant for the charge of inciting to sedition, a day after the country was placed under a state of national emergency. He has been in detention for over a year.

On the case against the five other party-list representatives and the other co-accused, the Supreme Court said the preliminary investigation was tainted with irregularities. The Court said the DOJ peremptorily issued subpoenas and distributed copies of the affidavit of the witness, a masked man, to members of the media, “knowing that petitioners have not had the opportunity to examine charges against them.” The masked man was later identified as James Fuentes who claimed Ocampo and the others attended secret meetings to plan the ouster of the government.

“The prosecutors not only trivialized the investigation but also lent credence to petitioners’ claim that the entire proceeding was a sham,” the High Court said.

On March 22, 2006, the DOJ denied the group’s petition for the entire DOJ panel of prosecutors to inhibit themselves from the case “for lack of impartiality and independence.” The group then filed a motion for reconsideration and moved for the case’s dismissal; both were denied by the prosecutors.

The DOJ then proceeded to file rebellion charges. The Office of the Solicitor General subsequently issued a comment that the preliminary investigation was not tainted with irregularities. Beltran’s group then decided to bring the matter before the Supreme Court.

“We are vindicated. This is a triumph of truth and justice over the Arroyo government’s invented and unfair charge against duly-elected people’s representatives,” Ocampo said in a statement.

“The tribunal’s ruling affirms our position that the charges against us are all fabricated, based only on perjured testimonies, full of legal shortcuts and obviously politically motivated,” he added.

Beltran meanwhile said that the Supreme Court has issued “a most humane and just decision.”

“The SC decision is an affirmation of our consistent and just assertions of innocence. Fifteen months is a long time to be detained on false charges and fabricated testimonies. Even one day is too long,” he said. (See related post.)

Beltran’s lawyer, Romeo Capulong of the Public Interest Law Center, said that once the decision is served to the Makati court, Judge Elmo Alameda of Branch 146 can order the immediate release of Beltran. If all goes well, Capulong said Beltran will be released on Monday, in time for the last remaining session days of the 13th Congress, which will run from June 4 to 6, 2007.

The 74-year-old labor leader said he will continue to push for the passage of a P125 across-the-board wage increase for workers, a P3,000 across-the-board salary hike for government employees, and press for an end to the worsening civil, political and human rights situation in the country.

This entry was posted on Friday, June 1st, 2007 and is filed under 2007 Elections, In the News, State of Emergency, The Judiciary. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

7 people have left comments

pity the bodies who were detained or locked up from trumped-up charges…

but pity more the souls of those who concocted such charges…those whose pledge is to create a Nation divided with unLiberty and inJustice for all!

baycas wrote on June 2, 2007 - 7:01 am | Visit Link

There is No Probable Cause to Indict Beltran for Rebellion.

Probable cause is the “existence of such facts and circumstances as would excite the belief in a reasonable mind, acting on the facts within the knowledge of the prosecutor, that the person charged was guilty of the crime for which he was prosecuted.”[20] To accord respect to the discretion granted to the prosecutor and for reasons of practicality, this Court, as a rule, does not interfere with the prosecutor’s determination of probable cause for otherwise, courts would be swamped with petitions to review the prosecutor’s findings in such investigations.[21] However, in the few exceptional cases where the prosecutor abused his discretion by ignoring a clear insufficiency of evidence to support a finding of probable cause, thus denying the accused his right to substantive and procedural due process, we have not hesitated to intervene and exercise our review power under Rule 65 to overturn the prosecutor’s findings.[22] This exception holds true here.

truly an exceptional case where ever-ready means (from ever-ready accomplices) are employed for political ends.

now, what will happen to those who abused their discretion?

with the present administration…Retribution very unlikely.

baycas wrote on June 2, 2007 - 7:25 am | Visit Link

[...] (Incidentally, the PCIJ report on the Beltran decision was admirably detailed and properly backgrounded, but the way it was written makes the third and fourth paragraphs seem as though the Tatad quotes were original to Beltran.) [...]

Current » Time to resign wrote on June 2, 2007 - 11:28 pm | Visit Link

[...] Beltran, together with party-list Reps. Satur Ocampo, Liza Maza, Teodoro Casino, Joel Virador, Rafael Mariano, were charged with rebellion in April 2006 for allegedly conspiring with renegade soldiers and communist party leaders to overthrow the government. The Supreme Court on Friday ordered the Justice Department to dismiss the charges. [...]

INSIDE PCIJ » Beltran back in House; assails gov’t on illegal arrest and detention wrote on June 4, 2007 - 8:32 pm | Visit Link

[...] are also used: banning and attacking rallies, jailing and falsely accusing critics (as in the Batasan 6). And so [...]

tonyocruz.com » Another interview with DLSU students, this time on events in the past 30 years and democracy wrote on November 15, 2007 - 7:06 am | Visit Link

[...] July 2007, the Supreme Court dismissed the last rebellion charge against Ka Satur and the rest of the so-called Batasan 6. In its decision, the court admonished the [...]

The truth about Ka Satur Ocampo | 100ARAW.com wrote on April 23, 2010 - 7:23 pm | Visit Link

[...] July 2007, the Supreme Court dismissed the last rebellion charge against Ka Satur and the rest of the so-called Batasan 6. In its decision, the court admonished the [...]

The Truth About Ka Satur Ocampo wrote on April 25, 2010 - 2:49 pm | Visit Link