Cayetano: Allow
live media coverage of pork scam trial
By Office of the Senate
Majority Leader
June 9, 2014
PASAY CITY – Senate
Majority Leader Alan Peter "Companero" S. Cayetano said the Supreme
Court (SC) should allow live media coverage on the plunder trial of
the P10-billion pork scam, saying the matter is imbued with public
interest.
Cayetano said real-time
coverage of the court proceedings at the Sandiganbayan will allow the
Filipino people to render their own judgment on government officials
involved in the scam, including three of their elected senators.
"Kung naka-live yan, kung
ano ang nakikita ng huwes, yun din ang nakikita ng bawat mamamayan o
kaya naririnig sa radyo," he said.
"Lahat ay nililigawan ang
publiko. Ang judiciary, gustong ipakita na fair siya at nanliligaw sa
public opinion at mataas ang standards ng judiciary natin. Ang
prosecution, nililigawan ang tao para ipakita na guilty talaga ang
accused. Ang depensa, nililigawan din ang tao para ipakita na
pinulitika lang o hindi totoong guilty ang kanilang kliyente. So
makikita mo, win-win situation ang isang coverage."
The senator also backed the
request of Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales for the SC to designate
at least two special divisions in the Sandiganbayan to exclusively try
the pork barrel cases.
He noted the magnitude of
the pork scam trial considering that only three senators, Janet Lim-Napoles,
and five other personalities have so far been accused of plunder
before the Sandiganbayan.
Cayetano said that the pork
scam controversy should be considered case closed within 500 days
before the change of administration in 2016.
“Alam natin na kung sino man
ang Presidente, malaki ang impluwensya kung may makakasuhan o hindi,
kung may mako-convict o hindi. Tingnan mo ang attitude ni Vice
President, sinabi ba niya diyan sa Dasma gate na imbestigahan ang anak
niya? Ngayon lumabas na meron din silang foundation, sinabi ba niyang
imbestigahan? Kung sinuman ang magiging Presidente sa 2016, huwag
tayong magbulag-bulagan, magkakaroon ng epekto yan sa kaso nitong
tatlo,” he said.
Cayetano stressed that a
swift trial would also benefit Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Juan Ponce
Enrile, and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr, who all claimed innocence and had
nothing to do with the plunder of the people’s money.
“Kung ikaw ay isang inosente
na inakusahan at kinulong, hindi ba mas gusto mo din mapabilis? So
walang dapat magreklamo talaga kung mapabilis ang kaso basta fair,” he
said.