Kaban ni D_BystandeR: MAKAPALUYA NGA HUKOM

It's mind-boggling to think that the Office of the Ombudsman's ruling to declare former justice secretary Agnes Devanadera guilty of  grave misconduct was overruled by the Court of Appeals (CA) and it was lowered to simple misconduct. Devanadera could have been slapped with forfeiture of one year salary in the Ombudsman's decision but with CA's intervention it was reduced to six months pay equivalent to more than P700,000. The case of Delfin Lee of Globe Asiatique would have been more devastating to the interest of the government because, despite his being arrested by Task Force Tugis under Col. Conrad Capa which subsequently caused for his immediate transfer to Cebu, Lee could have been released through the legal maneuvers of his lawyers because of the previous decision handed by Court of Appeals which downgraded his case to simple estafa instead of syndicated estafa.

The timely intervention by the Supreme Court to issue TRO to CA's decision has certainly prevented him from being released on bail despite his having defrauded the government through Pag-ibig Funds due to bogus housing loans amounting to close to P7B. The Court of Appeals has time and again figured in questionable decisions which many believe is engaged in handing its decisions to the "highest bidder."