Wednesday, January 03, 2007 Nalzaro: Snail-paced justice By Bobby Nalzaro Saksi
IRAQI dictator Saddam Hussein was arrested in late 2003 after his government collapsed following the US-led military invasion in his country that same year. He was then charged with genocide for the killing of thousands of his countrymen, especially those opposed to his dictatorial regime.
Saddam was given due process and a fair trial. A lower Iraqi court found him guilty as charged and sentenced him to death. The sentence was affirmed by the Iraqi High Tribunal, which ordered Saddam's execution within 30 days following the final judgment.
The execution was carried out last Saturday, Dec. 30, 2006 (Philippine time), ending Saddam's agony as a prisoner of war.
Saddam’s trial lasted for only three years. That is the kind of judicial system Iraq now has. Whether the US had a hand in the speedy conclusion of the trial or not, the Iraqi people who were victims of Saddam’s ruthless regime did get justice.
Relatives of the victims of the former Iraqi dictator and the Shiite Muslim community who opposed his tyranny said he deserved the extreme penalty of death. Saddam's execution gave a strong message to ruthless leaders and dictators who commit crimes against their own people.
But my main point is that the judicial system in the Philippines is still far from those in Iraq and other Islamic states. Here, our judicial system is snail paced.
Take for example the case of former first lady Imelda Marcos, who has been charged with graft cases and yet has remained scot-free. Some of the graft cases against her and the former Marcos cronies have been pending before the Sandiganbayan for decades now. These cases were filed after the Marcoses were kicked out of Malacañang through People Power in 1986.
Former president Joseph Estrada was also charged with plunder following his ouster through People Power in 2001. But the anti-graft court is still hearing his case, which is a capital offense. And even if the Sandiganbayan convicts Erap, he can still appeal the decision with the High Tribunal, and that could take years to resolve.
Mind you, the Marcos and Estrada cases are of national interest because those involved were once top political leaders. So is the delay in the resolution of their cases because of their being prominent figures and being moneyed enough to be able to hire the best lawyers who can maneuver to delay the trial?
Or it is because of our snail-paced justice system? And if this is happening to cases involving prominent personalities, how much more to those involving ordinary people?
The parricide case against cult leader Ruben Ecleo Jr. has been pending in court for years now. Worse, the court allowed the accused to post bail even if the crime attributed to him is heinous. Had an Iraqi court tried Imelda, Erap and Ecleo, it is possible they would have already been hanged.
It is very lamentable that the wheel of justice in this country moves slowly.
