Name: blumtrit
City/State/Country: nakaka asar naman
IP Address: 67.80.159.186

Comments

Has the Sandigan lost its credibility? They also lost their minds too. The three stooges Sandoval, Baldos and Martires now have to answer to the people sa kanilang ginawang sandigang kapalpakan, pag pipitikin na lang natin ang tenga hanggang sandigan mangamatis. No doubt mga tinik kayo para ayusin ang corruption. Mga alipores sino ba ang sinisilbihan nyo? Sankadovaldoval na Baldos sa pang aabuso nang mga engot na gaya ni Martires ang ginawa nyong pang aasar.

Name: Steve R
City/State/Country: California
IP Address: 71.198.150.211

Comments

The PH should put a high priority on closing the Sandiganbayan & allow Regional Courts to take graft & corruption cases until the formation of a National Grand Jury if acceptable by all concern. Sandiganbayan did not work & will not work now & in the next 100 yrs bcoz of palakasan, padrino, utang na loob, conflict of interest & all the words & phrases associated with corruption. Among 15 to 30 high gov officials there is always, yes, always a possibility that two or three will abuse their authority to enrich themselves in short corruption runs in a good percent of Filipino brains and blood. Recent sample, 4 MMDA(s) who were caught by XXX & police for extortion etc.

Name: JRH
City/State/Country: mtl can
IP Address: 173.178.230.42

Comments

Only idiots & stupid people will accept this crazy & insane decision by the Sandiganbayan on the case of Gen. Garcia. Lutong Macao 100%. Akin to MG giving everybody the middle finger & the hell with you. One step forward & two steps backward. Steal P305 million & return P103 million, then, let's make a deal. It's a farce & 100% stupidity on the part of the Sandiganbayan nang mga Corrupt to make this ridiculous & unheard of decision. Let's hope that karma come to these corrupt people. Filipinos are tired & sick of this garbage after garbage by this Magnanakaw Inc.

Name: 1 UP
City/State/Country: GOTHAM CITY
IP Address: 67.247.55.115

Comments

When the Sandiganbayan upheld the plea bargain deal with General Carlos Garcia, tama and decision in Maldita Gutierrez. So ano ang pinagpuputok nang butsie ninyo? The problem with this plea bargain was that the government was more interested in the recovery of the money (some only) more than the sending of a strong message that violators of public trust will pay dearly. From plunder to bribery charge is a big relief to General Garcia and a terrible blow to the administration of justice the Philippines. ONLY IN PINAS!

Name: Phil Researcher
City/State/Country: LA County Ca USA
IP Address: 76.174.19.149

Comments

RE: Sandiganbyan decison accepts Plea Deal of Gen Carlos Garcia..This Plea deal doesn't add up.. This is not Algebra..simple addition only.. How come you accepted that Gen Garcia return only 135 million when there is documentary evidence that Gracia's property is more than that amount...Gen. Garcia's case lingered at the Sandiganbayan for years and years. People are therefore questioning whether or not money changed hands here considering that doesn't add up. What is the basis of 135 Million how did you arrive at that total amount? Calling Justice Sandoval who is about to retire.

Name: 1 UP
City/State/Country: GOTHAM CITY
IP Address: 67.247.55.115

Comments

When the Ombudsman Office entered into a plea bargain deal with Carlos Kupit Garcia, the government ended up as a loser. If Garcia were convicted with plunder instead of a lower charge, the government could still recover those assets that were acquired illegally. The sentencing requirement for bribery would be much more lenient and not harsher compared to plunder. One always think that the Sandiganbayan is not the place na mayroong paninindigan. Many begin to ask the question: which side is the office on?

Name: GFJBHEDF
City/State/Country: Hercules
IP Address: 76.103.7.246

Comments

Media driven/induced/incited clamor, often devoid of lawful basis dictates Gov't/lawmakers/unjust decisions and actions. Take the current lawful Sandiganbayan approval of the plea bargain deal. Surely, the decision was lawfully based, and if given the chance, Sandigan can defend itself in any court of law. Then there is the anti Marcos burial at Libingan ng mga Bayani. That too is lawful, in spite of the anti Marcos clamor. It seems now the country is being run, not according to law but by media clamor, and by in large, the CBCP & the 80% catholic church has a debilitating influence on the country's politicians. Sad? It's disastrous.

Name: blumtrit
City/State/Country: Garcia Million $ man
IP Address: 67.80.159.186

Comments

Sandigan? or sanghudas nang bayan ang dapat itawag sa tatlong justices. Abot ang pasasalamat sa inyo ni Garcia at abot din ang mura sa inyo nang taong bayan. The people have won so far even if Garcia was able to escape prison time. He was exposed and his name and family will be remembered as ” the Kapalmuks family”

Name: Phil Researcher
City/State/Country: LA County Ca USA
IP Address: 76.174.19.149

Comments

RE: Gen Carlos Garcia Case If one remembers correctly the Backpack incident occurred about 2004 (In SFO a Garcia son was caught with $100,000) as he arrived at the airport. That resulted in Garcia being Court martialed and lingered in jail..This Sandiganbayan case where his plea bargain was accepted and the case became an Bribery instead of Plunder smells to high heavens. This Justice Sandoval who is retiring should be investigated and scrutinized and maybe disbarred if he did something wrong here. This is not a complicated case.. They make it appear difficult. I hope I'm wrong but it seems that money changed hands here.

Name: tonyO
City/State/Country: pinas
IP Address: 111.68.59.76

Comments

George, advocates that Judges, members of the Sandiganbayan and the Ombudsman be chosen via election. However, he did not say the reason for his proposal. George, if you think such process will minimize graft and corruption in government, better think again. Members of Congress and local government officials are elected but most of graft and corruption cases are committed in these government offices. Your advocacy won’t solve the current problems of government.

Name: WDC
City/State/Country: California
IP Address: 66.122.12.155

Comments

The Sandiganbayan has all the rights to confiscate Ligots property, if the property were bought from stolen money. A thief like Ligot deserves to live on the street.

Name: 1UP
City/State/Country: GOTHAM CITY
IP Address: 67.247.55.115

Comments

The decision of the Sandiganbayan upholding the plea bargain deal that the Ombudsman Office (under Maldita Gutierrez) struck with Gen Garcia was the right way to go after all. Gutierrez redeemed herself. It only shows that government was not really interested in punishing the offender but in recovering desperately even less than half of the loot. To make it worse, the charge was downgraded from plunder to bribery. There was no lesson here to be learned in lessening corruption. WHAT AN INSULT!

Name: As I See It
City/State/Country: SanDiego,CA/CebuCity
IP Address: 70.7.114.71

Comments

Sandiganbayan's approval of Garcia's plea bargain for lesser offense is shocking! But methinks our system is a rule of law and not the rule of mob. I still believe in it unless we go back to the times of Roman governor Ponso Pilato where-in a suspect's fate is being decided by the rule of the mob. The anti-graft court noted that the evidence presented by the prosecution lawyers is weak & not enough to convict Garcia of plunder. I agree with E. Lagman that a court (any court) is not a marketplace of public opinion! I think PNoy and his legal team should instead focus on strengthening DOJ's prosecution team by hiring lawyers of higher legal minds!

Name: blumtrit
City/State/Country: a terrible mistake
IP Address: 67.80.159.186

Comments

The picture of Garcia tells you that his mouth is sealed. He must be sending signs to Gloria that he no talk. See no evil Gloria, say nothing about Gloria, hear no corruption Gloria. This monkey must have eaten most of the stolen bananas of our republic. Where could the rest of the stashed be? Were the house in Vancouver dr. in Ohio, the apt flat 2202 on 222 E 34th st nyc and the condo unit 6A Park av at Trump Pl. nyc part of this? The three places are nothing, Garcia can give this away to the three Sandigan idiots each for saving his neck.

Name: 1 UP
City/State/Country: GOTHAM CITY
IP Address: 67.247.55.115

Comments

Re today's editorial. The people have lost faith in administration of justice in the Philippines a long time ago. Merceditas Gutierrez redeemed herself when the Sandiganbayan upheld her original recommendation en toto. This is a slap on the face of PNoy, who wanted very much to teach a lesson to erring public officials who have taken advantage of the weakness of government. It killed the momentum of bringing justice to plunderers. To restore the people's faith on the system, some serious cleaning must be done. Heads must roll pretty fast. Congress must act to reform the judicial system. Destroy the Sandiganbayan and the Ombudsman Office and build a better system and more efficient offices. FIRE THOSE BASTARDS!

Name: 1 UP
City/State/Country: GOTHAM CITY
IP Address: 67.247.55.115

Comments

Steve R: Your recommendation of a jury system is an excellent idea. You have seen and perhaps relate to the many horrible judicial blunders of judges in the PH. The Philippine courts are staffed with rotten apples and lemons. The most you get are apple juice and lemonade. You are lucky if you get an apple pie or a lemon cake. These judges are all political appointees with narrow legal minds and with an almost empty wallet or purse in their pants or bags..Jurisprudence? Naah

Name: Angel
City/State/Country: Canada
IP Address: 207.102.255.107

Comments

Its time to scrap Sandiganbayan once and for all. Nobody will ever take them now for they have been tainted with what they did from the very start of this corruption under the old administration anyway. Nothing personal for we are now being degraded by most of the other countries in the world. Its time to bring back our dignity as Filipinos for its not only the Filipinos back hope but us here abroad.

Name: eugenio dimacje
City/State/Country: sydney, australia
IP Address: 123.243.63.244

Comments

Big yes! They lost their credibility but increased their corruptibility!

Name: LATEPOCA
City/State/Country: SOMEWHERE IN TIME
IP Address: 121.1.30.222

Comments

Sandigan Justices who approved this tarnished plea bargaining with Garcia should be sent to the gallows for betraying the trust and confidence of the Filipino People...The said approval will eventually breed more corrupt officials.. PNOY where is your TUWID NA DAAN if YOU cannot put these crooks in jail.. If PNOY cannot DO IT, SOMEBODY (NPA, ABB, Al Queda, etc ) PLEASE, has to act covertly to punish these enemies of the people so that their kind will NOT thrive and flourish and rob people in the future..

Name: EJ Flores
City/State/Country: Las Pinas city
IP Address: 112.203.63.148

Comments

Not just the Sandiganbayan, but the Ombudsman, the Supreme Court and the rest of the judiciary, the military, the erstwhile 'cause oriented groups' even the Church and many other institutions have lost it because of people who abused it in the name of money, power and fame over moral values. The previous regime had a lot of influence over this eradication of moral values. People will violate what it ethical and good so long as these are legally defensible in court. What a shame.

Name: Popskief
City/State/Country: Lebanon
IP Address: 82.198.31.212

Comments

Sa Pilipinas lang nangyayri ang ganyan. Kaya ang mga magnanakaw sa Gobyerno ngayon nag pipiyesta, dahil pag nahuli nga naman isauli lang ang wala pa sa kalahati, at achievement na yon para sa mga hunghang na Prosecutors kuno sa dating opisina ni Aling Merci. Anong credibility pinagsasabi ninyo meron ang Sandiganbayan ng mga kawatan at abusado sa gobyerno? Hello, only in the Pinas yan...

Name: GFJBHEDF
City/State/Country: Hercules
IP Address: 76.103.7.246

Comments

Sandiganbayan is/was not about to make a fool of itself, to ignore pertinent facts, and tread Garcia plunder case higher, knowing it has not enough factual legs for a government successful prosecution, just because the president insist on pursuing a quest in futility, for the sake of his looking good as promised, "Kung walang corrupt walang mahirap." One year presidency over, and there is more corruption now than previous administration.

Name: LPiF
City/State/Country: Los Angeles, CA
IP Address: 76.166.197.27

Comments

The PLEA BARGAIN just doesn't make any sense at all. It's an insult to the Filipinos intelligence. The citizens of the world are having a belly laugh about our JUSTICE SYSTEM, it deserves an award for comedy of the year. Ha ha ha! Shame on the SANDIGANGBAYAN.

Name: Steve R
City/State/Country: California
IP Address: 71.198.150.211

Comments

Only in my dreams - I saw Garcia inside the jail with the same (mum) facial expression. If my dream will come true, hope his two sons caught with $100 bills in their bag will join him in jail.

Name: JRH
City/State/Country: mtl can
IP Address: 173.178.230.42

Comments

What credibility? Do the math. It's simple. P300 million stolen less P135 million that Gen. Garcia will return. This is a Sandigan nang mga Corrupt 'Let's make a deal' sideshow with the Magnanakaw Inc. This is the most insulting, asinine, stupid, & unbelievable decision ever made in the history of the Phils. Congress should table a bill that will create the position of an Anti-corruption Commissioner to receive & examine complaints of wrongdoing in the public service. It must cover the entire public sector & all its agencies. The Sandiganbayan is a clear example & a serious case of mismanagement & one-sided wrong decisions. It's high time to have watchdogs to check all these corrupt offices. Don't cry for us MG.

Name: Phil Researcher
City/State/Country: LA County, Ca USA
IP Address: 76.174.19.149

Comments

RE: Garcia Plea Bargain- The Sandiganbayan Justices at least 3 of them made this Decision..notwithstanding the publicity and outrage of decent Filipinos.. These justices have been around at least 30 years..Deciding to plea bargain a case where the evidence is overwhelming..How can a general who makes P37,000 pesos a year buy a Trump condominium.. Their family has no visible business.. Obviously as Comptroller of the AFP, that's where all the money came from. In one word these Justices are as brazen as Gen Garcia.

Name: GFJBHEDF
City/State/Country: Hercules
IP Address: 76.103.7.246

Comments

MCD hit the nail right on, pointing the parallel facts on the accusations lobbed at former ombudsman Gutierrez, sitting and not facilitating filed cases, as these critics would have it, devoid of actual knowledge of how many cases, small or great, was dealt with in order accordingly, without skip hopping. As MCD pointed out, the supreme court also is doing the same. A case in point, the hacienda Luicita case, look how many decades the supreme court had been sitting on this case, and still sitting on it. What's good for the goose is good for the gander, as the saying goes. Had ombudsman case gone forward, you can be sure the supreme court languishing cases would have been brought up "BOING!"

Name: WDC
City/State/Country: California
IP Address: 64.171.132.200

Comments

Sandiganbayan lost its credibility? Not only this branch, all government branches in the Philippines are. Credibility for them means "Enrich myself, don't give a damn to others as long as my family can eat".

Name: JRH
City/State/Country: mtl can
IP Address: 173.178.230.42

Comments

Filipinos all are asking is just one solid conviction, Just one. It will be enough to show Pinoy's Matuwid Way can finally be realized. Let's not go for severe punishment but a workable & agreable deal with the members of the Magnanakaw Inc. Return all the loot, then, maybe we can commute their sentences to community service or public rehab. During the 2nd WW, Gen. Patton didn't execute the Nazi bureaucratic elites but hired them instead & look at Germany now. Convert these crooks to contribute their share for a better govt. Let them be a part of the solution instead of being a pain in the neck. The mind is a terrible thing to waste.

Name: 1 UP
City/State/Country: GOTHAM CITY
IP Address: 67.247.55.115

Comments

The Sandiganbayan does not have a good conviction record. It is useless keeping more than a dozen justices and hundreds of prosecutors whose legal opinions are no better than a 5-year old, who has to make a difficult choice of taking a lollipop or drinking a can of Coke.The government could save A LOT OF money by retiring the justices and firing those incompetent prosecutors. The country is better off if all cases are referred to the DOJ and the usual courts litigate those cases involving plunderers. The current legal system is dysfunctional.

Name: mockingmaya
City/State/Country: taft avenue, manila
IP Address: 67.181.5.21

Comments

1UP: Your depleted brain will never get any further than insenate sweating akin to a kidney. There are many Filipino public students who are naturally intelligent & there are students & scholars who are naturally stupid like the quacks in black robes & some crackpot scholars of Ateneo University. Moreover, the Sandigan justices are not the ideal educated men : incompetent to take the naked facts, or unable to reason from a set of facts before them, in other words, their public service is the eternal manifestation of reductio ad absurdum of the legal system, or the democratic process.

Name: Manuel C. Diaz
City/State/Country: Antipolo City
IP Address: 180.191.184.88

Comments

To TonyO the rule regarding the time frame for judges to render decisions but have you heard any Judge or Justices dismissed. I have here a case elevated to the Supreme Court on certiori in 2007 it is now 2011 no decision yet check it out the case is Dr. Luis D. Dizon vs Dizon Copper Silver Mines Inc. Probably the Supreme Court Justices are ignorant of this rule. As I said Islas de Ladrones Justice system stinks.

Name: As I See It
City/State/Country: SanDiego,CA/CebuCity
IP Address: 68.27.68.251

Comments

Phil Researcher asked, "as I see it are you confused or what" as he commented on my post when I say "sooner or later the position of the Ombudsman is going to be filled up by somebody appointed by PNoy...the office of the Ombudsman or Sandiganbayan is supposed to be independent & not beholden to the president." I would like to assure Phil Researcher that I am not confused about the 2. Please refer to my rejoinder to 1UP in today's postings and my comment about the possibility of De Lima being appointed as Ombudsman by PNoy.

Name: Manuel C. Diaz
City/State/Country: Antipolo City
IP Address: 120.28.64.72

Comments

The problem in Islas de Ladrones is too much publicity on pending criminal cases just look at the Gen. Garcia case it is all over the news and President BS Aquino publicly condemned General Garcia as the epitome of corruption resulting in the mob rule. In the land of milk and fermented honey aka USA such publicity will result into a mistrial and it would be hard for the court to muster an unbiased jury.

Name: blumtrit
City/State/Country: hypertens ang napala
IP Address: 67.80.159.186

Comments

There’s still some unfinished dealings with Ligot – you may have some of their assets, how about jail time? What about Villanueva and the general salesman medal collector Cimatu? Gen Wankenobi Oban should follow up on them if he is really serious to clean and uphold the integrity of the AFP. May the force be with you Gen Oban…Sir

Name: JUST ASKING
City/State/Country: Philippinas natin
IP Address: 207.102.255.107

Comments

With too much corruption and to much on what we hear on all those Government Officials past and present of bringing out of not paying taxes. What are we not bringing out the Fortune Tobacco of Lucio Tan who still owe the BIR in Billion of Pesos which up to now nothing has been collected at all. Sana mahiya na siya. Aba, maraming matutulungan sa ating maga nag hihirap na mamamayan at magamit ito nang ating gobyerno sa pag gawa nang maga Infra Projects na kailangan natin. Bakit di ito ilabas para malaman nang sambayanang Pilipino. Sino ang nagproprotekta sa kaniya sa matagal na panahon. Puro SISIW lang ang maga nababalitan natin. Lets see if what I said here will be posted. if not than huwag na tayong maniwala sa posting na ito. Its just a waste of our time.

Name: corrupt justice system
City/State/Country: corrupt philippines
IP Address: 66.214.62.39

Comments

It sends the message that it is okay to steal the people’s money for as long as you admit your crime when caught and just return a small amount from what you stole. so if you want to get rich work for the government! You can steal big and get away with it.

Name: tonyO
City/State/Country: pinas
IP Address: 111.68.59.76

Comments

On appeal by the Solgen, it is not remote that the Supreme Court will reverse the PLEA BARGAIN AGREEMENT between Gen. Garcia and the Sandiganbayan because the evidence that Gen. Carlos Garcia have unexplained wealth amounting to more than P75 Million remains strong hence, he is liable for the crime of PLUNDER under Sec. 2, R.A. No. 7080. Ergo, this case is not qualified for Plea Bargain Agreement since there is no doubt that he is liable for the crime of Plunder.

Name: JUN MANUEL
City/State/Country: San Diego, CA
IP Address: 205.56.145.36

Comments

This is unbelievable, with overwhelming evidence and witnesses that have come forward risking their lives, the SANDIGANBAYAN has the gall to not pursue this case, are we not ever going to learn and once and for all prosecute the guilty, put them behind bars for years, and take away the loot and properties used with stolen money from the tax paying, and hard-working Filipinos. Who appointed these SANDIGANBAYN members, someone or all had to get paid. This is an obvious huge PAYOFF by the implicated and guilty parties. Pres. Aquino, this is time, enough is enough, crooks big or small have to pay for their crimes.

Name: GFJBHEDF
City/State/Country: Hercules
IP Address: 76.103.7.246

Comments

Sandiganbayan reverse its concurring plea bargain decision? P'Noy to file for reconsideration. A futile attempt. Sandiganbayan will not reverse. Its decision is base on factual lack of evidence to pursue the matter to a successful outcome. The only recourse P'Noy has is to petition the Supreme Court. 'Tis my opinion, after the SC studies the merits or lack of it, I advance, it will arrive at the same conclusion as did Sandiganbayan.

Name: JRH
City/State/Country: mtl can
IP Address: 173.178.230.42

Comments

If only the ombudsman MG did the right thing to pursue the corruption of Gen. Garcia, Ligot, Neri, Bolante, GSIS top brass million pesos bonuses, etc. This Sandiganbayan fiasco will not happen. It was during GMA's administration that everything was tolerated & promoted. All of these crooks used their influence to amass wealth unlawfully & outright abuse of public funds. Gen. Garcia, Ligot & wives got rich quick, unlawful gains not commensurate with actual income (paycheck) while in office. We must recover what was stolen. Then, line them up at the Luneta to be shot by musketry.

Name: Kababayan
City/State/Country: San Antonio, Texas
IP Address: 64.148.246.227

Comments

Let's not be too quick to judge. The supreme court will soon ferret out the truth. I've seen some of these Sandiganbayan officials on TV and they are saying they just did their job and are willing to face the consequences of their actions. I am glad the Philippines is still governed by the Rule of Law and both sides will have their day in court.

Name: Eulogio Catahumber
City/State/Country: USA
IP Address: 71.96.66.196

Comments

Can you blame the Sandiganbayan justices? They only act on the facts presented to them. If the prosecution or Ombudsman presented a weak case, then they will decide in favor of the the defendant. I think we are barking on the wrong tree.

Name: WDC
City/State/Country: California
IP Address: 71.138.215.192

Comments

Yes, these people have no credibility. Scrap the Sandiganbayan and impeach all judges start on the Supreme Court.

Name: Ding
City/State/Country: Chicago,IL USA
IP Address: 76.29.124.28

Comments

The dysfunctional "Sandiganbayan" is a big waste of people's money. Merciditas Gutierrez was not only incompetent chief..she acted also as shield and proliferator for big fish like Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and many government officials to plunder people's money. Put her in jail together with the corrupt officials that she protected.

Name: deo
City/State/Country: flour city
IP Address: 66.66.169.205

Comments

Excuse me? there was a time when Sandiganbayan was credible?

Name: tonyO
City/State/Country: pinas
IP Address: 111.68.59.73

Comments

1:2 By what kind of logic did the Ombudsman and the Sandiganbayan concluded that the charge of Plunder versus Gen. Carlos Garcia is legally weak, hence, purportedly qualified for Plea Bargain Agreement, SINCE IT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT THAT GARCIA’S ACCUMULATED UNEXPLAINED WEALTH AMOUNTED TO MORE THAN P75 MILLION. There are three independent grounds supporting the charge of Plunder versus Garcia, 1st, the Affidavit of Mrs. Clarita Garcia that Gen. Garcia illegally received payola from AFP contractors, 2nd the testimony of former COA state auditor, HEIDI MENOZA, about the graft and corruption in the military, AND 3RD, THE UNEXPLAINED WEALTH OF GARCIA.

Name: tonyO
City/State/Country: pinas
IP Address: 111.68.59.76

Comments

2:2 Although the Ombudsman and the Sandiganbayan agreed that Clarita Garcia’s affidavit cannot be legally used against her husband and children and that Heidi Mendoza’s testimony is weak, however, they failed to downgrade the validity of the evidence that Garcia have unexplained wealth of more than P75 Million (which is legally sufficient to convict Gen. Garcia for the crime of plunder). I have no doubt that the Supreme Court, on Appeal by the Solgen, will reverse the said Plea Bargain Agreement. Di nakita ng mga @#%$#@ ang napakalaking butas ng Palakol, hehehehe. Moreover, the Supreme Court should penalize these officials for undue exercise of discretion which is equivalent to lack of jurisdiction over this case.

Name: mockingmaya
City/State/Country: taft avenue, manila
IP Address: 67.181.5.21

Comments

Some judges take their power at face value. If the Sandiganbayan judges make a mistake by deviating from the law established in the Constitution, what will the Filipino people do? The Constitution reflects the will of the people. The people or their elected representatives have the means to rectify the error, through impeachment & constitutional amendments.

Name: Brad
City/State/Country: L.A. CA.
IP Address: 112.201.129.158

Comments

Dapat lang ikulong ang mga corrupt at mga magnanakaw sa govierno para maramdaman nila ang mga tao mahirap na nasa kulungan na walang ka pera para malaman nang taong bayan na ang kulungan ay para sa mga taong maysala mayaman kaman o mahirap para patas ang labanan. Gumawa ka Pinoy ng batas para matuto ang mga tao na may kaugali-an nating mga filipino. Ito ang dapat na pagbabago na lagi mong pinagmamalaki. We hope that you won't mention this again on your SONA para huwag ng maloko ang buong bayan.

Name: GFJBHEDF
City/State/Country: Hercules
IP Address: 76.103.7.246

Comments

PNL> "There may come a time...when the masses no longer put up with such betrayals and heads may..roll...literally." Fat chance. Most these guys are well connected. One reason why volumes of cases are languishing in the courts till litigants develop Alzheimer's or expire. Hacienda Luisita are you still kicking?

Name: LPiF
City/State/Country: Los Angeles, CA
IP Address: 76.166.197.27

Comments

Grrrr...It's absurd that these governing bodies that are formed to protect our country sa mga magnanakaw kuno, are the culprit themselves. We could bitch all we want and call them names, I don't think these SOBs would even care. I can guaranty they are laughing to the bank with their middle finger pointed at us whispering to themselves "F-U" Pinoy! The SANDIGANGBAYAN, OMBUDSMAN and the JUSTICES are all in connivance to loot the people and get away with it. Is there any one out there man enough to stop the BLEEDING? Come on PNoy don't be a eunuch, para mo nang awa, PLEASE do something NOW! Tomorrow will be too late!

Name: Steve R
City/State/Country: California
IP Address: 71.198.150.211

Comments

Corruptions in the PH spoon-feeds the Communist Party of the Philippines. Corruptions will give some legitimacy to Bayan’s street rallies. Excerpts: “In light of the almost universal distrust for public officials among Filipinos, it is indeed incomprehensible why these justices of an anti-graft court would uphold the validity of a broadly denounced plea-bargain agreement and then spring that decision onto an unsuspecting public when they did. There may come a time however, when the masses no longer put up with such betrayals and heads may start to roll...literally!” PNoy should now pick up his baseball bat & act on his tayo na sa matuwid na landas.

Name: 1 UP
City/State/Country: GOTHAM CITY
IP Address: 67.247.55.115

Comments

PH has disappointed many of its citizens who believe in a government of laws and not of men. Ordinary citizens and victims of inequity have seen that the wheels of justice grinding too slow and even coming to a screeching halt because someone with authority pressed the stop button. I share the views of many that government agencies that are tasked with the administration of justice are dysfunctional in nature. The country has a Congress that spends so much time investigating sex scandals and many insignificant matters than attending to the business of the people. We have men in black robes making decisions that are empty of wisdom (jurisprudence) or logic. Even fifth graders will put them to shame. The population’s stoicism is just too much to ignore.

Name: mockingmaya
City/State/Country: taft avenue, manila
IP Address: 67.181.5.21

Comments

Has the Sandiganbayan really lost its credibility? Well, it depends how it acquires & uses its power. The Sandiganbayan is credible if it maintains its independence or impartiality or integrity. The rule of law is one of components of democracy. It creates political obligation, duty or obligation to follow the law & legitimacy, if you will. The Sandiganbayan is credible when it strives for the rule of law, equality before the law, protects the Filipino citizens dignity, freedom or autonomy and so forth. Moreover, the Filipino people have a chance to explore & revisit the wellspring of their freedom (People Power & the History of Independence), if the cycles of dictatorship, injustice & self-righteous delusions of the guardians of the Constitution prevail.

Name: Brad Pitt
City/State/Country: L.A., Calif.
IP Address: 112.201.129.158

Comments

Why can't the government arrest and put in jail the likes of Gen. Garcia and Gen. Ligot who corrupted the government and stole millions of Pesos from the Filipino people while people on the street who steal and snatch a cell phone are being arrested and put in jail. Dapat patas and batas ng Pilipinas whether you're rich or poor. Kawawa naman ang mga mahihirap. Look at what you see in the city jails, many who are locked-up are innocent but don't have the money to get a lawyer.

Name: 1 UP
City/State/Country: GOTHAM CITY
IP Address: 67.247.55.115

Comments

The sons of Gen Garcia definitely by-passed security check at NAIA. They were escorted all the way. I have traveled in the PH at least twice a year and backpacks or carry-on luggage undergoes final security check prior to boarding and even before that. $100,000 in cash must be hand carried and never put in check-in luggage. How they (sons) escaped detection does not puzzle me at all. Ditto could be said of drug mules who leave the country. If there was real security enforcement, the money could have been seized right there in the airport instead of being intercepted on a foreign port of entry (US) by customs authorities. STUPID TALAGA. DUMB MOVE.

Name: Attorney Tan
City/State/Country: LA
IP Address: 98.250.169.197

Comments

When the agency is filled with incompetent & biased members, then its function & goal will never be achieved. It is important to abolish the agency, or replace all the ombudsman with impartial, competent, non-partisan members whose only aim is to prosecute corrupt government official.

Name: GFJBHEDF
City/State/Country: Hercules
IP Address: 76.103.7.246

Comments

Like it or not, Sandiganbayan is here to stay, regardless our self righteous opposition. Self righteous because we have no factual proof of our accusations of the institution's wrong doing, just allegations and fabrications. Fabrications yes, until we can prove otherwise in court. To date, not even the Gov't has filed petition in the Supreme court against said plea bargain of the Ombudsman et al. Only threats to file appeal for reconsideration, then threat to elevate to SC if it does not get its way.

Name: kaawaawang bayan
City/State/Country: negros occidental
IP Address: 96.51.252.160

Comments

The problem with the plea bargain is the importance of money rather than life. You will notice the aim of the Ombudsman and Sandigan Bayan is the amount that will be recover instead of the hundreds of lives lose in the fight with ABU SAYYAF and MILF. This is injustice in the worst kind. US spent billions for just for a person (Bin Ladin) to commit justice. JUSTICE SHOULD BE VALUED AS PRICELESS. I agree with Pinoy so pursue his fight against Sandiganbayan and the technicality set forth by companieros (ignore Enrile, he already made billions because of technicalities, not morality or lives). God bless Pinas

Name: Phil Researcher
City/State/Country: La County Ca USA
IP Address: 76.174.19.149

Comments

Re: Gen. Carlos Garcia case . .In my previous post here I stated that Gen Garcia's salary was P37,000 per year it should read 37,000 pesos per month.. Now the brazen thing about Gen. Garcia is authorizing his son to buy a Trump Condominium in American where title to property is a public record and is open to research by anyone. How can you feed your children with stolen money and at the same time face the Public. I won't blame your children if they will file a Petition for Change of name.

Name: manuel de jesus
City/State/Country: kawawang pinas
IP Address: 112.204.245.48

Comments

The Sandiganbayan cannot be relied upon. It ought to be overhauled too like the Office of the Ombudsman. Both offices are in cahoots with each other.

ame: WDC
City/State/Country: California
IP Address: 66.122.12.117

Comments

Replace all members of the Sandiganbayan will not going to affect anything, corruptions will still going to flourish. More than hundred years of practicing corruption in our country will never change overnight. Philippines should emulate other countries by paying all government employees same as the private industry will minimize corruptions.

Name: Perry Casapao
City/State/Country: California
IP Address: 99.6.89.50

Comments

Marcos changed the values of the Filipino people by institutionalizing the "Padrino" system. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, with her 9 year term as President, displayed being an ardent follower of Marcos through the efficient application of this principle. By ensuring up to the last minute that she appoints her puppies to key Justice positions, she has protected her backside. So now, the only recourse is to either have these appointees impeached or forced to resign like Mrs. Gutierrez.

Name: nognog_san_jose_ca
City/State/Country: San Jose, Calif
IP Address: 69.226.238.83

Comments

Only in the Phils. You steal, plea-bargain and get to keep part of your loot. I guess Sandiganbayan members got a share from the loot too.

Name: miguel fulgencio
City/State/Country: state of poverty
IP Address: 116.50.227.130

Comments

What a no brainer decision by Merciditas, return less than half of what you stole then you can go scot free! FYI if you put in 300M in AFPSLAI you would earn 16% interest per annum (which is what the general did). The corrupt general would have earned 48 million in a single year! The interest alone is more than enough to bribe any government official.

Name: Garapal
City/State/Country: Kabulokan City, RP
IP Address: 121.54.54.57

Comments

Plea bargain? Rotten, rat infested system!!! Only in the Philippines. The Pilipinas will remain a bulok system for quite a while...the rest of her Asian neighbors are way, way, way ahead...hello Korea! Hi Japan! Nice day Taiwan! Good morning Singapore! Nice job Hong Kong! Whoa China!!! Congrats Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand.

Name: 1 UP
City/State/Country: GOTHAM CITY
IP Address: 67.247.55.115

Comments

Eulogio Catahumber wrote: "Can you blame the Sandiganbayan justices? They only act on the facts presented to them." Does it make more sense to ask for more facts before making a decision? What is the rush? These justices are not acting like adults who ignore the basic principle that actions have consequences.

Name: deo
City/State/Country: flour city
IP Address: 66.66.169.205

Comments

tonyO: In the case of Gen. Garcia, the amount (whether it is P75 Million, minimum threshold to constitute crime of Plunder or P75 Gazillion or whatever) is not the only matter to be considered by the SC whether to affirm or reverse the decision of the Sandiganbayan if an appeal will be made by the DOJ about the plea agreement between Garcia and the Office of the Ombudsman. It will be the arguments of DOJ that should persuade the SC why it should reversed the Sandiganbayan's decision. In fact, it is the legitimacy of the plea agreement that should be resolved.

Name: 1 UP
City/State/Country: GOTHAM CITY
IP Address: 67.247.55.115

Comments

The Sandigan Bayan and the Supreme Court and with all their men in black robes are in violation of the constitution for ignoring SPEEDY DISPOSITION of cases. Justices take a decade or more to render a decision resulting in enormous backlogs in the courts. MAHIYA NA MAN KAYO, HOY!

Name: As I See It
City/State/Country: SanDiego,CA/CebuCity
IP Address: 68.27.129.139

Comments

LPiF contended, "it is absurd that these governing bodies are formed to protect the country sa mga magnanakaw kuno, are the cul-prit themselves." Again, our democratic system is a rule of law and not a rule of the mob. The office of Ombudsman is responsible for investigating & prosecuting gov't. officials accused of crimes. They can't protect the public from gov't. officers who have the intent to commit crimes like stealing of people's money; but they receives com-plaints against officers relative to their conduct while in office and submit these to Sandiganbayan, the court mandated to try & decide graft cases. Ombudsman & Sandiganbayan do not belong to Malacañang Legal Dept.- therefore PNoy cannot order the outcome of the cases in the way he wants!

Name: GFJBHEDF
City/State/Country: Hercules
IP Address: 76.103.7.246

Comments

Has Sandiganbayan lost credibility? Emphatically, NO! ..and is not about to be a fool for the P'Noy administration. It's not the end of the matter after all. The administration has all the power to pursue the plea bargain case up to the supreme court as it already threatened it would. We are awed, beholding and itchy for P'Noy et al to petition the SC, and wish P'Noy success, even to the demise of the Sandiganbayan. However, I strongly feel, on this wise, P'Noy et al and Sandiganbayan's critics are all wet. Otherwise, Sandiganbayan and I are. I don't mince words or straddle the line.

Name: Kanada
City/State/Country: Kanada
IP Address: 99.255.45.165

Comments

There is definitely a lot of corruption. Every police department, immigration bureau, PNP, Armed Forces, Customs, BIR are all in this kind of racket. I have been going back and forth to the Philippines to see my wife and daughter and they always check my carry-on bag as well as my check-in luggage. One time, I was late already for my Japan Airlines flight and they opened my check-in bag and even took a bottle of body lotion that belonged to me. How petty these thieves are taking my bottle of Nivea body lotion which was worth about $8 dollars here and they would let Garcia's son's out of the country with $100,000 U.S. dollars in their carry on bags. What a bunch of jokers these people are.

Name: JRH
City/State/Country: mtl can
IP Address: 173.178.230.42

Comments

Where is the loophole? How could Gen. Garcia, Ligot, et al cleverly conceal laundered money? Obviously, there must be a crony network in the Phil Banking System. So far, Col. Rabusa's insider information might be the 'smoking gun' in pursuing this case. Likewise, the Sandigayanbayan might also have a crony network cooperating with the AFP comptrollers. The generals (pirates of the Phils) cleverly kept these secret accounts & was able to sustain extravagant & expensive lifestyle..way beyond the worth of a salaried official. In this connection, we must question & expose the confidentiality of the bank accounts of these crooks & other corrupt officials.

Name: MaraClara
City/State/Country: Pinas
IP Address: 98.243.108.183

Comments

Not only the Sandiganbayan lost its credibility with all my experiences while in the country, There are no agencies from the government that will put back my trust again to these corrupt officials, From the barangay captain to the head of the land they've been corrupted with their greediness of money and power. Anyway, by the end of the line their souls will all go to hell, where they belong..

Name: As I See It
City/State/Country: SanDiego,CA/CebuCity
IP Address: 173.152.178.114

Comments

Sandiganbayan or any other court is not a marketplace of public opinions. It does not work that way - wherein it approves or favors the one who has the LOUDEST VOICE / or has the plurality of voices in the forum. Some posters would say the court is "dysfunctional." This seems to be true, as we always anticipate the court will always declare the winner in favor of those whom we think has the loudest voice. We want the justices to assume the position of a layman who in a marketplace, hearing and seeing all these opinions clash, and from there we expect them to base their rule and judgment. Nope! They rule based on the rule of evidence presented for ours is a rule of law.

Name: raffy magsaya
City/State/Country: san jose,california
IP Address: 98.234.178.6

Comments

Those guys don't know what credibility means or never heard of it.

Name: 1 UP
City/State/Country: GOTHAM CITY
IP Address: 67.247.55.115

Comments

Tony0: The matter of plea bargain is a mutual agreement between the defendant and the prosecutor. The prosecutor will offer the deal or the defendant's lawyer(s) will ask for a plea. If both accept, the court has yet to approve the deal. Ombudsman offered the deal, Garcia accepts, and the Sandiganbayan approves. I am no lawyer but the next step is to challenge Sandiganbayan's decision to a higher court. Just like in the school system, the teacher takes action, the principal agrees or disagrees before the superintendent intervenes. Does the analogy make sense?

Name: 1 UP
City/State/Country: GOTHAM CITY
IP Address: 67.247.55.115

Comments

I blame the Ombudsman Office for the plea bargain deal and accuse them of stupidity but I admire Garcia's lawyers for being smart and creative to have the fact bargaining included in the package besides the charge and the sentence bargaining. Even if the prosecutors have some provable facts, all the evidences they (prosecutors) have could never be introduced in the court against the defendant. In basketball that is a three point shot! GAGO TALAGA!

Name: 1 UP
City/State/Country: GOTHAM CITY
IP Address: 67.247.55.115

Comments

JUN MANUEL: All is not lost yet unless a higher court reverses the decision of Sandiganbayan. The case against Garcia was weakened by the actions of government prosecutors and in particular, the Ombudsman Office. You should curse the government for being so dumb and admire the defense lawyers of Garcia for being so smart and creative. If you know the plea bargain process (which is common in the US) " the Ombudsman Office made an offer that Garcia could not refuse." The latter is a famous line in the movie "The Godfather".

Name: Marcus
City/State/Country: Mexico
IP Address: 12.129.97.254

Comments

Pera pera lang ang labanan.....Sandiganbayan kuno dapat ang tawag sa kanila ay Sandigan ng mga corruption.........Senate naman puro hearing or inquiry wala rin naman magawa sayang lang ang tax payer money.....Wala ng talagang pagasa ang justice system talo lalo na jung mahirap ka.......only in the Philippines.

Name: Juan
City/State/Country: san Jose, Cal
IP Address: 98.250.169.197

Comments

A cook can spoil a meal if the ingredients he uses are rotten. Similarly, if the people in Sandiganbayan are corrupt, it has not only lost its credibility but also become a roadblock for the progress of the country.

Name: A. Poli
City/State/Country: Anywhere
IP Address: 112.203.40.19

Comments

Re: Bard's - "Dapat lang ikulong ang mga corrupt at mga magnanakaw sa govierno para maramdaman nila ang mga tao mahirap na nasa kulungan na walang ka pera para malaman nang taong bayan na ang kulungan ay para sa mga taong maysala mayaman kaman o mahirap para patas ang labanan......" --------------trouble is they are replacing them with equally corrupt or worse replacements! It is the system, sad to say.

Name: 1 UP
City/State/Country: GOTHAM CITY
IP Address: 67.247.55.115

Comments

What is the big fuss about the plea bargain and the delayed response of DOJ? There was a time lag between the plea bargain becoming publicly known and the Sandiganbayan upholding Maldita Gutierrez's recommendation later. Sleeping on the switch and pointing fingers? A total breakdown of checks and balances here is obvious. SURPRISE ?

Name: pinoy kasi
City/State/Country: oxnard, ca
IP Address: 76.169.85.184

Comments

Kaya matatapang ang apog ng mga corrupt officials like Ligot, Garcia, Gutierrez at mga Sandigan Bayan Justices is because nakikita na madaling mawala ang interest nangg mga Pinoy para parusuhan ang mga maganankaw sa bayan. Tingnan ninyo na lang ang mga estado ng mga Marcos at Arroyos na hahalal pang public officials. Mga Ilocano at Kapampangan kakapal ng mukha ninyo ( of course hindi lahat).

Name: Phil Researcher
City/State/Country: LA County, Ca. USA
IP Address: 76.174.19.149

Comments

RE: Gen Carlos Garcia. case-- It has been the most publicized case of Military Corruption due to the $100,000 in the Backpack and the Trump condominium and yet the Sandiganbyan led by Justice Sandoval (according to reports is going to retire this June 2011) justified his decision with some legal gobbledygook not palatable to Filipinos. .There are other headlines that appears to be not openly discussed. Here's one "Billionaire Pacquiao is the country's richest congressman while four members of the Arroyo family were among the 35 wealthiest in Congress." Pacquuiao is rich not because of congress but because of boxing. However, why are the Arroyos rich? The only reason..because their mother was the President.

Name: 1 UP
City/State/Country: GOTHAM CITY
IP Address: 67.247.55.115

Comments

The plea bargain that the Ombudsman Office negotiated with defendant Gen. Garcia is being highly criticized and for many good reasons:1) the government ended up a loser.2) less than half of the missing AFP was recovered.3) the government offered and the defendant accepted a lesser charge of bribery instead of plunder, which is a non-bailable offense that carries a higher sentence.

Name: CON
City/State/Country: CONMENCOUNTRY
IP Address: 222.127.223.69

Comments

I find so many of our countrymen just like conmen, they will try to con you whenever they have the chance, what a shame, especially the men. Now those R. Catholic Bishops better educate their flock about sin. Filipinos steal, tell lies, many don't even go to Church, drink, neglect their family, curse, from the top down to the common people. I hope PNoy can straighten out the Gov't. I know he is sincere.

Name: 1 UP
City/State/Country: GOTHAM CITY
IP Address: 67.247.55.115

Comments

CONTINUE.. 4) the court, Sandiganbayan, approved the negotiation with the defendant not against a backdrop of clogged court dockets or other compelling reasons but because of the damming inclusion of FACT BARGAINING (“admission to certain facts stipulating to the truth and existence of provable facts, thereby eliminating the need for the prosecutor to have to prove them in return for an agreement not to introduce certain other facts into EVIDENCE.”) In short, the government, through its prosecutors, boxed itself in. DUMB MOVED

Name: Bugoy
City/State/Country: Manila, RP
IP Address: 121.54.54.57

Comments

In the Land of the THIEVES, CORRUPT, Rotten infested system that is Philippines, what else is new? Hey, this the way of life here in this god forsaken, pathetic system. AFP, Bureau of Customs, BIR, MPWH, LWUA, Ombudsman, Sandiganbayan, etcetera, etcetera....on and on government entities, you name it, they STEAL it!!! And the Church plays a vital role in this stagnation, let alone condone the regression of this Islas Ladrones into the abyss!!!

Name: 1 UP
City/State/Country: GOTHAM CITY
IP Address: 67.247.55.115

Comments

The sage from Rochester wrote: "Excuse me? there was a time when Sandiganbayan was credible? WHEN? Convince us. Cite conviction rates and number of cases to prove their credibility? THEY HAVE NO BADGE OF HONOR (not even brownie points to their credit)

Name: Marie
City/State/Country: Batangas
IP Address: 80.109.30.155

Comments

Yes there are more corrupt now because they are starting to come out from their caves due to lack of supplies from their queen. Before, they were all hidden under her skirt, protected and saved from danger.

Name: KALI
City/State/Country: HAWAII
IP Address: 72.130.247.17

Comments

Per Ka Deo, “Excuse me? There was time when Sandiganbayan was credible”. You’re right, even 1 UP can’t argue with that! But “that” time is history already. Remember you’re playing with snow balls in Flour city now vice playing “jolin” then, hehehe. On the serious note, in PH, money talks in just about all branches of the government. How much do you think this creepy Sandiganbayan people got from the share of the loot? Hey! If you’re not looking for facts or evidence, then you can’t find it, right? If this is one agency that is corrupt, then get rid of it, at least one corrupt agency gone. PNoy, show us your beef on how to solve problems. Talk is cheap, now is the time to show results.

Name: slbejar
City/State/Country: chicago
IP Address: 99.105.68.41

Comments

That M. Gutierrez and G. Arroyo are birds of the same feather that flock together. Gutierrez, opted to resign instead of fighting a losing battle of impeachment, and Arroyo, after 10 years of systematic corruption by her cabinet and military men finally ends her term leaving the country still soaked in poverty, corruption and moral decay. You would suppose that being women, these two "mothers of corruption" would not have the nerve to do something their predecessors did (unless dictated by their own family ) regardless, of their position did while in power, thus putting the country in in the same endless and continuous cycle of misery and poverty and moral decay.

Name: Manuel C. Diaz
City/State/Country: Antipolo City
IP Address: 120.28.64.76

Comments

To TonyO granting that the Supreme Court has to decide case within 24months. My case has been in the Supreme Court for more than four years now then I file an impeachment in Congress what would the Supreme Court do decide the case in my favor? The chances is the Supreme Court will reverse the decision of the Court of Appeals. Remember the Supreme Court of Islas de Ladrones more of the time decides cases according to the "weather" Remember the appointment of Chief Injustice Corona?

Name: GFJBHEDF
City/State/Country: Hercules
IP Address: 76.103.7.246

Comments

Alas, I anticipate, fired by the P'Noy administration, deputy ombudsman Emilio Gonzalez will be reinstated by the supreme court for lack of evidence. Except for the utterance/accusation of the deceased hostage taker, dismissed/disgruntled senior inspector Rolando Mendoza, there was/is none to substantiate Mendoza's allegation against Gonzalez. Therefore, hearsay, and hearsay is not evidence. Gonzalez will get his job back. P'Noy's half cock actions are mounting. Not good.

Name: Marie
City/State/Country: Batangas
IP Address: 80.109.30.155

Comments

Was there really a case like Garcia's? Got billions then will just return half. Too much favor was given to him. If that will be the case every corrupt officials who will be charge by this time could also request the same from the Sandiganbayan. If they will not succeed, they can now ask - was there kumparehan?

Name: As I See It
City/State/Country: SanDiego,CA/CebuCity
IP Address: 173.152.178.114

Comments

PNoy should now focuse on hiring lawyers not of lesser legal minds if he anticipates big legal battles ahead. I think PNoy has to check if the office of the Ombudsman, the office of Solicitor General have good lawyers if he wants to win the cases against Garcia, Cojuangco, etc. once their cases are elevated to the SC instead of dishing out his biased opinions inside the campuses & elsewhere through his speeches in the hope of influencing the decision of the justices!

Name: 1 UP
City/State/Country: GOTHAM CITY
IP Address: 67.247.55.115

Comments

This is not an indictment but a common practice of Pinoys (domestic and foreign) of lying in the customs declaration sheet. Vicky Belo got caught with $20k, the sons of Gen Garcia got caught with $ 100k and many more who are relatively unknown. Here is the advice: "Anyone entering or leaving the US is allowed to carry any amount of cash or money equivalent. However if the total value exceeds $10,000 you must complete Customs Form 4790 and submit it to the Customs Post at the point of Entry or Departure. Be prepared to prove that the money is legitimately yours - Bank Statements etc." They deliberately mis-declare hoping they could get away with it.

Name: As I See It
City/State/Country: SanDiego,CA/CebuCity
IP Address: 68.29.109.188

Comments

1UP contended "since when was Sandiganbayan ever been credible? It does not have a record that it could be proud of. Tell me something that I do not know." Here are some of the big names who were convicted by the anti-graft court: former Paranaque mayor JOEY MARQUEZ (walis tingting procurement), former Dinagat Is. congressman RUBEN ECLEO (anomalous transaction), and former president JOSEPH ESTRADA (plunder). Just to name a few!

Name: LATEPOCA
City/State/Country: SOMEWHERE IN TIME
IP Address: 121.1.30.222

Comments

Whereever we look, CORRUPTION NEWS ARE ON THE GLOW....BUT how come NO ONE has been put in jail. I think this PNOY administration cannot hit squarely these KAWATAN head on...So far PNOY has done NOTHING TO CURB CORRUPTION because HE is definitely afraid to face these menace specially politicians..NOTHING HAS CHANGED FOR PHILIPPINES.....

Name: WDC
City/State/Country: California
IP Address: 64.160.96.29

Comments

Please don't imply “CREDIBILITY" to these Philippine government officials especially in the justice system. Majority of these people are dishonest, selfish, morons and brainless. They don't do anything except plundering the country and what sad is majority of the Filipinos thinks these SOBs are good enough for them.

Name: Vanessa Lee
City/State/Country: Kuwait
IP Address: 62.215.228.249

Comments

Gen. C. Garcia's case will not be the first & last this is just the beginning and serves as precedent to the next corrupt official. Steal, return part of it and case is closed. No matter what's the crime committed it is the same old story connection plays the role. So sad to think even the highest court of the land has been influenced. Qou Vadis my country? Mr. President it's not late yet you can do something before worse comes to worst.

Name: lee buyagan
City/State/Country: K.S.A
IP Address: 46.240.102.203

Comments

Where are the faces of these Sandiganbayan and Ombudsman personalities? Will you please post them also so that people can better remember them as idiotic and inutile public servants?

Name: JRH
City/State/Country: mtl can
IP Address: 173.178.230.42

Comments

The Sandiganbayan's often-messy system is a great disappointment with Filipinos. We deserve to know more about the men & women with extraordinary power to make decisions on issues such as 'sweetheart deals' with crooks. The presidential appointment needs to be transparent & a screening process whereby a special committee could question bad rulings & questionable decisions by this so called anti-graft body. This current bad system must change cuz the Sandiganbayan is pro-crook.

Name: 1 UP
City/State/Country: GOTHAM CITY
IP Address: 67.247.55.115

Comments

It was reported in the papers that the order of the Sandiganbyan approving the plea bargain agreement (sweetheart deal) between General Garcia and the Ombudsman Office (during Maldita Gutierrez's term) was an interlocutory order. If this order was temporary in nature (from a legal standpoint), what is the fuss? It is not final. Hontiveros, Navarro and Lim filed a complaint against the justices for "knowingly and willfully" issuing an interlocutory order that violates Article 206 of the Revised Penal Code." Comments please, Tony0.

Name: tonyO
City/State/Country: pinas
IP Address: 111.68.59.76

Comments

Phreng Deo said “it is the LEGITIMACY of the plea agreement that should be resolved” whether the approval by the Sandiganbayan of the Plea Bargain Agreement between Gen. Carlos Garcia and the Ombudsman may, on appeal, be reversed by the higher court. Tama ka Deo, i.e., if the Agreement is legitimate. To qualify for plea bargain agreement, it must be shown that the charges against Gen. Garcia is legally weak. However, one of the three charges remains STRONG, i.e., that he has unexplained wealth amounting to more than P75 Million. The Plea Bargain Agreement between Gen. Garcia and the Ombudsman is ILLEGITIMATE, hence, on appeal, may possibly be reversed by the higher court.

Name: 1 UP
City/State/Country: GOTHAM CITY
IP Address: 67.247.55.115

Comments

Yung mga cases that Sandiganbayan tried and made Joey Marrquez and Ruben Ecleo felons involved mere pennies and dimes. I agree that Estrada was the biggest catch of them all but Erap got pardoned (the stain in his character was removed). Other than these three names, are there more that As I See it could add? In math, these cases are put a fraction of a fraction (complex fraction). Conviction on three cases out of several hundreds is not enough to earn a badge of honor on credibility. Three days out of 7 days do not make a complete week.

Name: tonyO
City/State/Country: pinas
IP Address: 111.68.59.74

Comments

Ka manuel de jesus charged that the Ombudsman and the Sandiganbayan ” are in cahoots with each other.” This is the unfortunate consequence of their approval of the Plea Bargain Agreement with Gen. Carlos Garcia because it is inconsistent with law. To qualify, for plea bargain agreement it must be shown that the charge that Gen. Garcia is guilty of the crime of Plunder is legally weak. But only two of the three charges were held as legally weak. The charge that he has unexplained wealth amounting to more than P75 Million remains strong. Therefore, this case remains disqualified for plea bargain agreement. Why did the Sandiganbayan approved the agreement?

Name: Phil Researcher
City/State/Country: LA County, Ca USA
IP Address: 76.174.19.149

Comments

RE: Israel Aircraft Industry-- _IAI) That was the company which supplied unmanned airplane or Drone to the AFP in 2004.. There was a report in one of the dailies as the GMA admin took over the presidency..Mickey Arroyo appeared to broker the deal with Several AFP brass..P117 million was missing? What is the Senate doing about this? How come ..this issue is not being investigated? Gen. Carlos Garcia was still the Comptroller during that time. The late Gen. Angelo was Sec of Defense.

Name: Oscar
City/State/Country: Pasig
IP Address: 98.250.169.197

Comments

Asking thieves to watch over other thieves from stealing? lol......

Name: A. Poli
City/State/Country: Anywhere
IP Address: 112.203.40.19

Comments

The system is corrupt. Tell the example. First year of a new president spent mostly on blaming previous admin. Reason out that he/she needs to cleanse the system that requires him/her to terminate government officials purportedly involve in corruption. Second year, he/she start appointing same party election losers to post as payment for support. Third year, the appointees will start collecting their own payback to recoup what they have spent in their election bid. Fourth year, all businesses and supporters and what have you gets used to giving paybacks to whoever is in charge. Fifth year, people discover the corruption. Sixth year, election again. Issue is corruption. There you go. Repeat the series again. :)

Name: A. Poli
City/State/Country: Anywhere
IP Address: 112.203.40.19

Comments

How can the system be changed so that it is auto correcting? Meaning if someone is corrupt, he gets charged accordingly and transparently. Not necessarily by an opponent which could be misconstrued as politically motivated.

Name: IRE
City/State/Country: USA
IP Address: 69.141.41.118

Comments

Court decisions are based on evidences and not on public opinion. Obviously, those that criticize the Sandiganbayan doesn't understand this.

Name: 7gtg
City/State/Country: regnsk
IP Address: 24.89.83.100

Comments

Garapal: " Plea bargain? Rotten, rat infested system!!! Only in the Philippines. The Pilipinas will remain a bulok system for quite a while...the rest of her Asian neighbors are way, way, way ahead..". Unfortunately pare, you are correct. Which brings me to one question: So what?

Name: Marie
City/State/Country: Batangas
IP Address: 80.109.30.155

Comments

The plea bargain approved by the Sandiganbayan is not for our people to trust and hope that in the future there'll be justice. That weakens the belief for truth in them.

Name: Phil Researcher
City/State/Country: Los Angeles, Ca
IP Address: 76.174.19.149

Comments

Re; Deputy Ombudsman Gonzales--His Petition for a TRO (Temporary Restraining Order) to the supreme court was heard on April 12, 2011 but the SC did not issue the TRO so the Acting Ombudsman a certain Meneses dismissed him on May 18, 2011..Upon order of the Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa.. Gonzales still maintains that he did not delay the case of the late Inspector Mendoza, whose Motion for Reconsideration sat without any Resolution in Gonzales' office for nine(9) months. Umalis ka na

Name: Mannyp
City/State/Country: Jacksonville,Fl. USA
IP Address: 98.71.197.218

Comments

Not only The Sandiganbayan lost its credibility but also the entire Philippine Government has lost its credibility from day one.

Name: JRH
City/State/Country: mtl can
IP Address: 173.178.230.42

Comments

Asian, Spanish, & American influences are fused together into an extraordinary social mélange in the Phils. We are considered as a literate & liberated people in Asia. We have a lively free press & media. Filipinos world-wide are avid enthusiasts on the latest communications technology..be it cell phones, commuters, etc. but in spite of all these, our social, economic, & political system is still a big question mark. It's a gov't-in-progress that have survived an extraordinary & systematic exploitation of our wealth & people. It's high time to move on & show Filipinos that we could do better. We should start convicting the corrupt & put them all in jail. Lots of talks do not cook rice.

Name: GFJBHEDF
City/State/Country: Hercules
IP Address: 67.188.19.40

Comments

Sandiganbayan "Plea bargain" three justices criminally complained to DOJ? Isn't constitutional procedure appeal 1st, and if unresolved, case elevated to SC? Nonetheless, the complain, if truly pursued in this venue, will open the rational, or lack thereof, of Sandiganbayan's plea bargain decision.

Name: JRH
City/State/Country: mtl can
IP Address: 173.178.230.42

Comments

In the last paragraph of this editorial..'when the masses no longer put up with such betrayals & heads may start to roll' is wishful thinking. Most appointments are mostly former classmates, fraternity brothers, kumpadres, padrinos, ninong/ninang, etc. More often & as a debt of gratitude is repaid by handsome appointments with great influences on social, economic, & political advantages. In return, gifts of gratitude are given to the padrino. You can use your imagination on how they do it..Pinoy-style. It's a Filipino social behaviour & interaction with others. It's a common standard inherent among Filipinos..regalo, pasalubong, pabaon, pakimkim, pabuya, at gantimpala sa utang na loob.

Name: LPiF
City/State/Country: Los Angeles, CA
IP Address: 76.166.197.27

Comments

tonyO: Your analogy for PLEA BARGAIN is not a protocol. If you have all the complete evidence in the case that establishes the truth then the plea bargain is unnecessary. This is a ploy to reduce the sentence. Why would the prosecutor accept a plea bargain? If he has doubt about the truth! Does anybody in this forum doubt the guilt of Garcia? Why entertain a plea bargain to begin with? The SOB is GUILTY AS HELLl, come on! This is no brainer folks! ANOSAYMO?

Name: deo
City/State/Country: flour city
IP Address: 66.66.169.205

Comments

I tried to "pass" on this topic but a little comment will not break that vow. Check this out: With no exception, the legal system in Pinas is corrupt! And I have tonyO's permission to say so.

Name: Phil Researcher
City/State/Country: Los Angeles, Ca
IP Address: 76.174.19.149

Comments

Re; Deputy Ombudsman Gonzales--His Petition for a TRO (Temporary Restraining Order) to the supreme court was heard on April 12, 2011 but the SC did not issue the TRO so the Acting Ombudsman a certain Meneses dismissed him on May 18, 2011..Upon order of the Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa.. Gonzales still maintains that he did not delay the case of the late Inspector Mendoza, whose Motion for Reconsideration sat without any Resolution in Gonzales' office for nine(9) months. Umalis ka na

Name: nut2shabby
City/State/Country: mount apo
IP Address: 71.116.89.96

Comments

The question should be...have they been credible at all?? With all the corruption and being a 3rd world country, credibility has not yet been invented in Philippine government.

Name: 1 UP
City/State/Country: GOTHAM CITY
IP Address: 67.247.55.115

Comments

If Deo believes Sandiganbayan was credible this news report from Manila Bulletin is enlightening: The Sandiganbayan Second Division acquitted Wednesday actor-comedian and former Parañaque Mayor Joselito "Joey" Marquez for graft over alleged overpriced brooms (walis-tingting). Associate Justice Samuel Martirez penned the 27-page decision that also dismissed the same cases against against Marilou Taneal, former city accountant; Flocerfida Babida, city budget officer; Ofelia Caunan, OIC General Services office; Ailyn Romea, headstaff of the Office of the mayor; and Realina Ty, a private individual and owner/proprietor of REAL Trading, a business firm registered with the Bureau of Domestic Trade and Industry." ALL BUT DISMISSALS!

Name: 1 UP
City/State/Country: GOTHAM CITY
IP Address: 67.247.55.115

Comments

I have no respect for the Sandiganbayan created by PD during the incumbency of Marcos. "Say what, credibility"? The celebrated ting-ting scandal involving mayor-actor Joey Marquez was dismissed by Sandiganbayan despite preponderance of evidence. Maybe Tony0 who comes from QC, Philippines could provide readers in this forum regarding the batting average of this court (conviction rate vs dismissal).

Name: As I See It
City/State/Country: SanDiego,CA/CebuCity
IP Address: 173.117.123.124

Comments

1UP insisted, "yung mga cases that Sandiganbayan tried and made Joey Marquez and Ruben Ecleo felons involved mere pennies and dimes." I guess 1UP considers these graft cases as peanuts since these involved millions of pesos! Now I see a case involving 'billion of pesos' would be considered as mere "several pesos only" for 1UP. Nakalusot pa rin! He could be like Donald Trump!

Name: LPiF
City/State/Country: Los Angeles, CA
IP Address: 121.1.11.166

Comments

TonyO: You have a very good grip about the Sandigangbyan's position on your post. My question to you, is how could these sandiganbayan Justices so ignorant about their roles? Who is really the authority in allowing them make decision in accepting a PLEA BARGAIN. Is it the congress or the supreme court? If theirs is unauthorized then let them get the hell out of there! Simply abolish this agency completely. This is just another useless bureaucracy wasting the peoples time and money! ANOSAYMO?

Name: mockingmaya
City/State/Country: taft avenue, manila
IP Address: 67.181.5.21

Comments

Corrupt Sandiganbayan judges will only thrive in a "bandit democracy," where looting of government treasury is systemic, elections are often rigged, coups as a mechanism of change, public schools are devoid of books or educational materials, ballot boxes are stuffed, & the courts are packed by cronies, and so on. President Aquino's administration must support public education. Why? Politicians are public men. And knowledge is dynamic or revolutionary: it can be grasped by the less-fortunate Filipinos & the weak as well.

Name: WDC
City/State/Country: California
IP Address: 75.38.73.67

Comments

Since when did Philippine government officials have credibility? Their credibility went to their pockets. Filipinos need to follow the Egyptians and "kick-out their corrupt leaders," and when this happen then we can talk about credibility in our country.

Name: pinaskongmahal
City/State/Country: usa
IP Address: 72.215.70.39

Comments

PNoy this is for you: Sandigan definitely has lost its credibility. Didn't even indict Ligot and put him to jail for P700 mil he squandered. For fiscal restraint, better erase it. Next to erase is the Phil Police Academy in Tagaytay being a redundant school. PMA grads still heads PNP. This school doesn't produce good officers too for police work and tactics. Remember the Hong Kong Bus Hijack saks. It's all wasted money.

Name: JRH
City/State/Country: mtl can
IP Address: 173.178.230.42

Comments

Sandiganbayan para sa mga magnanakaw at mga walanghiya at mga corrupt. If they can't nullify this questionable sweet deal with Gen. Garcia will only prove that this current system will still prevail. If you'll look at the pictures of Generals Garcia & Ligot & wives, you'll see nothing but the faces of corrupt people. Yes, it's not a pretty picture. Let's wait a while & see what will happen. There is a very strong case based on strong evidences against these crooks. If, however, by chance some kind of ruling will again favor the guilty, then this whole thing is pure charade, and a big joke. This editorial will then float in space & can be considered trash. Lutong-Macao Phil-style as always.

Name: amante perez
City/State/Country: baguio city
IP Address: 112.198.77.82

Comments

SandiganBayan na hindi masasandigan ng taong bayan, kundi sandigan ng mga corrupt na maimpluwensya AT MAKAPANGYARIHAN. it might as well change its name to SANDIGANBAYAWAK.

Name: Vanessa Lee
City/State/Country: Kuwait
IP Address: 94.129.174.195

Comments

This is the irony when the President has no jurisdiction towards these government entities. Hope there is an annexure to the ruling wherein the President can intervene in case there is an element of deceit.

Name: A. Poli
City/State/Country: Anywhere
IP Address: 112.203.4.237

Comments

Nothing is wrong with the Sandiganbayan. It is the system that is corrupt. Very easy to get into a loophole. Maybe PNoy should convert into a dictator so he can freely and expeditiously eradicate those alleged bad SB justices. I'm sure many will cry foul. But who cares? And so what? Many will be happy too. Especially those who like dictatorships during the Marcos years. They are all back in the senate anyway. It will be de javu. :-)

Name: tonyO
City/State/Country: pinas
IP Address: 114.108.243.107

Comments

LpiF said “tonyO: Your analogy for PLEA BARGAIN is not a protocol. If you have all the complete evidence in the case that establishes the truth then the plea bargain is unnecessary…” Precisely, asre, that’s why I contended that the Plea Bargain Agreement between Gen. Carlos Garcia and the Ombudsman, approved by the Sandiganbayan but appealed by the Solgen, will be reversed by the Supreme Court because it is clear that Gen. Garcia have unexplained wealth amounting to more than P75 Million, hence, a proof beyond reasonable doubt that he is guilty of the crime of plunder. Plea Bargain Agreement may only be justified if the evidence against the accused is weak.

Name: 1 UP
City/State/Country: GOTHAM CITY
IP Address: 67.247.55.115

Comments

I have never seen a dumber legal institution in the Philippines than the Ombudsman’s Office and the Sandiganbayan. They were clueless on the matter of a plea deal. The government should have offered to Gen Garcia to plead GUILTY to the plunder charge and accept a lighter sentence in return. Guilty to the charge of having misappropriated 303 million pesos should have been the cornerstone of the plea bargain. In the usual court system, the trial judge who approves the plea deal advises the defendant that the latter loses the right to appeal and that the plea could not be withdrawn. What happened with the General Garcia’s case was a shameful aberration or severe departure from the norm on how justice or fairness is to be administered. Grrr… I feel like punching those justices in the face.

Name: 1 UP
City/State/Country: GOTHAM CITY
IP Address: 67.247.55.115

Comments

I wrote earlier that the judicial system in the Philippines is dysfunctional. The DOJ, the Ombudsman Office, and the Sandiganbayan do not work in unison. Each has its own agenda. In the end, the country suffers and citizens would lose its faith on the institution completely. Restoring the people’s faith in the institution that administers justice for everyone will take ages

Name: 1 UP
City/State/Country: GOTHAM CITY
IP Address: 67.247.55.115

Comments

This discussion we are having about the plea bargain agreement (sweetheart deal) is nothing more but a perversion of justice which only validates the incompetence of people in the court system. First, plea bargain is always offered by the prosecution to the defendant to allow the latter to plead guiilty to a higher charge in return for a reduced sentence. Second, what is the logic of a watered down charge (reduced or lesser charge) that the defendant will never refuse?. Third, once the offer is accepted by the defendant, the prosecution could not rescind or withdraw that offer (it works both ways). I COULD NOT SAY ANYTHING MORE BUT SHAKE MY HEAD IN DISBELIEF.

Name: IRE
City/State/Country: USA
IP Address: 69.141.41.118

Comments

 If we believe that losing litigants say of judges and justices, then there would be no need for the rule of law. We would simply have to listen to the mob. There would be no need for courts of law. What we will have is the law of the jungle." --Emil Jurado, MST, 05/20/11

Name: 1 UP
City/State/Country: GOTHAM CITY
IP Address: 67.247.55.115

Comments

The actions of the three justices at the Sandiganbayan to approve the plea bargain deal initiated by the Ombudsman Office regarding General Garcia's case that downgraded the plunder charge to bribery is ABUSE OF DISCRETION. This was no different from a president or any government official of being accused of Abuse of Power. This court simply went beyond the boundaries of decency and mocked the intelligence of 90 + million Filipinos. Whoever hired these justices should be blamed! Whoever confirmed their appointments should be hanged. These justices should be stripped of their black robes and allowed to run naked in the streets. WHAT A BUNCH OF MORONS!

Name: 1 UP
City/State/Country: GOTHAM CITY
IP Address: 67.247.55.115

Comments

Tony0: "To qualify for plea bargain agreement, it must be shown that the charges against Gen. Garcia is legally weak." Who told you that? That is not the essence of a plea bargain. A plea bargain is offered by the prosecution to a defendant to accept a guilty plea in exchange for a lighter sentence. If you have been watching TV or the movies, the judge would normally ask the defendant: "how do you plead?" In fact the plea bargain could occur very early on, in the middle of the trial and even before sentencing. If the evidence was strong, the prosecution should have indicted Garcia with plunder; bribery was a slap on the wrist. It was obvious that the Ombudsman Office's prosecutors were incompetent in evidence gathering. They could not make a charge stick!

Name: As I See It
City/State/Country: SanDiego,CA/CebuCity
IP Address: 173.117.123.124

Comments

1UP still insisted, "I agree that Estrada was the biggest catch of them all but Erap got pardoned (the stain in his character was removed)." At the outset 1UP was asking only about records of conviction that Sandiganbayan has rendered for posters to opine whether it is credible or not. Now 1UP is talking about "pardon." Now I see that no amount of presentation would suffice for 1UP. To add, Sandiganbayan or any other court is not there to render 'conviction' every single case submitted, otherwise we have to go back to rule of the mob, much better!

Name: mockingmaya
City/State/Country: taft avenue, manila
IP Address: 67.181.5.21

Comments

Historically, unchecked political corruption & centralization of power are the enemies of liberal democratic institutions. And one of the yardsticks of any government's legitimacy is its ability to collect taxes, not tax evasions committed by some elites. Moreover, the rule of law is weak, if not yet firmly established (the Filipino people can't rely on the rule of law to protect them), if you will, because of the rampant financial looting of the country's natural assets by the elites & flaunt their wealth by acquiring condos, apartments, houses, & so forth around the world.

Name: Andre
City/State/Country: New Zealand
IP Address: 202.160.48.160

Comments

Pinagtatawanan tayo ng mga kasamahan ko dito. Pumunta pa daw ako dito eh ganun lang pala style sa Pilipinas. Magnakaw ka ng 300 million tapos soli mo 135 million. Neto ka pa! Malinis na 165 million!!! Balik niyoko sa Pilipinaaasss!!! (alam ko na gagawin ko!) :)

Name: JRH
City/State/Country: mtl can
IP Address: 173.178.230.42

Comments

Add this one to the extensive list of corruption in our country. Another crook, Prospero Pichay, was suspended frpm the office of the Local Water Utilities Ad for misusing P780 million in LWUA funds. These big time crooks an get away with murder. Another classical case of misrepresentation, failure to disclose a money-loosing acquisition of a highly questionable & high price venture & false endorsement of a gov't project. Same exact pattern as Gen. Garcia's case that proves that crime does pay. Our Court of Laws are making a mockery of our rotten justice system. It's garbage & it stinks.

Name: 1 UP
City/State/Country: GOTHAM CITY
IP Address: 67.247.55.115

Comments

All of us are keen observers on how the government in the Philippines, post- Marcos era, has evolved. We normally use the Marcos regime as the point of reference. There is something that is alarming, which is now deeply embedded in Pinoy’s culture or psyche. I am referring to the SENSE OF ENTITLEMENT. People, who have assumed public office and private as well, feel and think that things have no limits or boundaries. They feel entitled to disrespect the rights of others (abuse), acquire wealth no matter where the source was, avoid paying taxes on incomes whenever possible, father as many children from different women (Revillas and Estradas) until the plumbing breaks, flaunt their wealth and stay above the law. continue .. IT IS TOO PAINFUL FOR ANY PERSON TO GIVE UP ENTITLEMENTS OR THE SPICE OF LIFE (the good life for the average man)

Name: 1 UP
City/State/Country: GOTHAM CITY
IP Address: 67.247.55.115

Comments

The three justices of the Sandiganbayan who approved the plea bargain deal "custom fit" for General Garcia should be called : The Dos Locos y una Loca justices of Sandiganbayan. All the oxygen must have been sucked out of their brains. LDS :Legally Deranged Syndrome is so common in the courts.

Name: As I See It
City/State/Country: SanDiego,CA/CebuCity
IP Address: 68.29.92.222

Comments

I just could not understand why Joey Marquez, who was convicted by the 4th Division of Sandiganbayan in 2007 and sentenced to 50 years of incarceration is now a free man after the 2nd Division of the said anti-graft court overturned the verdict of 4th Division. I was thinking all along that it should be the Supreme Court who decides the merits of the 'motion for reconsideration' filed by the legal counsels of the convicted party. It smells bad!

Name: IRE
City/State/Country: USA
IP Address: 69.141.41.118

Comments

In light of the controversy surrounding the approval of the Sandiganbayan of the Plea Bargaining Agreement between the Office of the Ombudsman and Gen. Garcia, I am enjoining my kababayans and 1 UP to take a minute of your time to read the opinion of Emil Jurado, a veteran lawyer and columnist, in Manila Standard Today, dated 5/20/11. You can find it in the archives. The lawyer - writer gives us the reasons why the office of the Ombudsman entered a Plea Bargaining Agreement with Gen. Garcia, and why the Sandiganbayan made the approval. This column will enlighten us the basis for a plea bargaining agreement, coming from a legal mind, and not from opinions of ordinary people, and worst, from movies or TV's.