Palace: Aquino didn't try to influence court's decision on Garcia plea deal

Malacañang on Wednesday denied that President Benigno Aquino III tried to influence the Sandiganbayan when he commented on the court ruling approving the plea bargaining agreement between accused plunderer Carlos Garcia and the Office of the Ombudsman. At a press briefing, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the Palace tried to intervene in the case through the Solicitor General “because we strongly believe that the people should be represented." “All that we’ve done is really to try to intervene. I cannot see how can that be stretched in trying to influence the decision of the Sandiganbayan," she said. She added that they did what they can through the necessary legal means such as asking the court to be given leave to intervene but that has been denied. “We will continue to do everything we can to make sure that the interest of the people is properly represented in this particular case," Valte said. House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman said President Aquino made a mistake when he criticized the Sandiganbayan’s decision to approve the controversial plea bargain deal. Lagman said Aquino erred when he made the statement that the anti-graft court’s justices should not have made a decision as if they were in a “vacuum" and insulated from public opinion. “The President is oblivious of the ideal norm that a judge or jurist must formulate his decision in a vacuum, unperturbed by the mob, uninfluenced by public opinion," he said in a statement. He added that the President should not pressure the judiciary in making decisions based on public opinion. Valte, however, said Sandiganbayan’s approval of the plea bargaining deal has not changed the administration’s resolve to fight graft and corruption. “There’s no change in the President’s resolve to fight corruption. It hasn’t changed despite this kind of decision," she said. The Sandiganbayan approved on Monday the plea bargaining agreement between Garcia and the Office of the Ombudsman, which allowed him to plead guilty to two lesser offenses and to post bail despite a P303-million plunder case filed against him. The anti-graft court said that after assessing the totality of the testimonial and documentary evidence presented by the prosecution, it did not find evidence that pins down Garcia of plunder. It noted that the evidence presented by the prosecution was not enough to convict Garcia of that offense. President Aquino said this week that he was surprised by Sandiganbayan’s decision on the Garcia case, adding that he had asked the Executive Secretary, the Solicitor General and the Secretary of Justice to find possible legal remedies that serve the best interest of the people. The Office of the Solicitor General may file a motion for reconsideration with the Sandiganbayan and in case it is rejected, the government will go directly to the Supreme Court, President Aquino said. - KBK, GMA News