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Aquino admin acted late in INC crisis – Chiz

Camille Elemia

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Aquino admin acted late in INC crisis – Chiz
(UPDATED) Senator Escudero says DOJ should explain its 'unclear' processes – which cases should go straight to the DOJ and which should start at the fiscal level

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Government presence in the Iglesia ni Cristo protest that lasted days and constricted the historic EDSA highway in Metro Manila was hardly felt until it was too late.

Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Tuesday, September 1, said he didn’t see “any government handling done until only lately.”

A close friend of President Benigno Aquino III, Escudero said the Aquino administration could have addressed the issue sooner. The 5-day protest started on Thursday, August 27, and ended on Monday morning, August 31.

“Kung may pagkakataon sa mas maagang panahon na magkaroon ng diyalogo, sana nagawa na rin ‘yun imbes na tumagal nang ilang araw pa,” Escudero said.

(If there was a chance of an earlier dialogue, they should have done it instead of prolonging it for several more days.)

The senator said Aquino could have talked to Justice Secretary Leila De Lima, the same way he spoke with Internal Revenue Commissioner Alberto Lina, when Lina was strongly criticized for following stricter policies on Balikbayan boxes.

“Kung sa kaso ni Commissioner Lina mainit ulo ng OFWs, inutusan ni Pangulo magpaliwanag, maski kahit sino official dapat maging bukas din sa dialogo kahit na sinong grupong may kuwestiyon,” Escudero said.

(If in the case of Commissioner Lina wherein OFWs really got mad, he was ordered by the President to explain, any official should be open to any dialogue with any groups who have questions.)

Escudero said he “just suggested it and cited the case of Comm. Lina” as possible solution that the government could have adopted early on.

DOJ should ‘explain’

Escudero said the Department of Justice could have avoided the issue if only it practiced the “first in, first out” policy. After all, he said this is not the first time the DOJ was alleged to be bias.

“Walang issue kung sinusunod ng pamahalaan ang simpleng batayan first in, first out, malaki o maliit man ang kaso, kung unang nangyari, unang pumasok, unang resolbahan din, para maiwasan yung duda at alinlangan kaugnay sa mga ganitong uri ng akusasyon laban sa pagpapabor o panggigipit ng sinumang ahensya ng pamahalaan na sino mang grupo o tao,” Escudero said.

(There would have been no issue had the government used the simple policy of first in, first out, whether the case is big or small, whichever came first should be the first to be resolved. This is to avoid any doubts involving accusations of bias and persecution against any government agency.)

He cited the cases involving the alleged pork barrel mastermind Janet Napoles and celebrity Vhong Navarro, saying they were all filed directly with the DOJ, bypassing fiscals.

“Medyo malabo ang rule ng DOJ. Alin nga bang kaso ang dapat magsimula sa piskal at sa DOJ panel na agad? Kasi effectively nababawasan ng isang remedy o puwedeng aapilahan [‘pag dinala ang kaso sa DOJ agad],” he said.

(DOJ has unclear rules. Which cases should start at the fiscal level and which should go straight to the DOJ panel? Because effectively the remedy or options to seek appeal are fewer [when the case is brough straight to the DOJ.]

Special interest

Meanwhile, Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr said he also understood why the INC thought they were being persecuted. The justice secretary showed special interest in the case and fast-tracked it, he said. 

“Kadalasan pagka may complaint, ipa-file sa fiscal, ipapaimbestiga sa fiscal. Tapos kung ano ‘yung findings ipo-forward sa DOJ, tapos they will file the case in court. Pero iba ang nangyari dito, kinuha kaagad ni Secretary De Lima, nag-press con kaagad na ganun ang gagawin niya kaya’t medyo naiba, parang pinabilisan ang proseso, siguro ‘yan ang iniobject-kan ng Iglesia….So sana dinaan na lang sa pangkaraniwang proseso, hindi minadali,” Marcos said.

“Most of the time, when there is a complaint, it is filed with the fiscal, the fiscal. Then whatever the findings are, they are forwarded to the DOJ, then they will file a case in court. But in this case, Secretary De Lima immediately took in the case and held a press con announcing what she would do. That’s against the usual course, it appears the process was fast-tracked. It’s probably what the Iglesia is objecting to…. So [the DOJ] should have followed the usual process and didn’t try to fast-track this.”

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has been the subject of the INC protests, after expelled Iglesia minister Isaias Samson Jr filed an illegal detention case against INC leaders before the DOJ.

Dean Tony La Viña said the DOJ performed only a “ministerial act” when it accepted the complaint filed by Samson “for purposes of conducting preliminary investigation that, in the first place, is the very mandate of the DOJ.” (READ: INC’s defeat: Actualizing separation of church and state)

While INC-owned media outfits say there was an “agreement” with Malacañang, the Palace has denied it. (‘No deal’ with Iglesia in ending protests – Palace)

INC ‘big help’ in 2016

Escudero is widely believed to be running for vice president in 2016.

While he said the INC, among many other groups, is a “big help” to his possible bid, he said the group has not influenced him in his actions as a senator.

Up to 1.37 million of around 52 million total Filipino voters, or 2.6% of the voting population, belong to the INC.

The group practices bloc voting, prompting many politicians to get on their good side during the election season. (READ: How potent is the INC’s vote delivery system?)

Escudero received strong criticisms on social media for his apparent defense of the INC. But he insisted he is only defending the freedoms enshrined in the Constitution.

After all, he said the Catholic Church did the same thing for the Reproductive Health bill and during the two EDSA revolutions.

“If I will be receiving a backlash in so far as fighting for freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, and right to peaceably assemble, petition governmentt for address of grievance, trabaho ko ‘yun at bahagi ng trabaho ko ‘yun bilang mambabatas (that’s my job and part of my job as legislator),” Escudero said. – Rappler.com

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Camille Elemia

Camille Elemia is a former multimedia reporter for Rappler. She covered media and disinformation, the Senate, the Office of the President, and politics.