Genuino camp accuses Aquino admin of trial by publicity

The camp of former Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) chairman Efraim Genuino on Friday accused Malacañang of resorting to trial by publicity over the agency's allegedly anomalous coffee expenses during the former official's term. "The current administration is embarking on a massive trial by publicity never before witnessed since the imposition of Martial Law. Those who have been ‘marked for liquidation,’ so to speak, are being demonized daily by minions of the Aquino Government even before judicial trial, while its allies like (Lt. Gen. Gaudencio) Pangilinan and (Sen. Panfilo) Lacson are immune from prosecution no matter the gravity of their offenses. This is hypocrisy of the worse kind," Genuino's spokesman and lawyer Ferdinand Topacio said in a statement. Pangilinan was appointed as the new Bureau of Corrections chief despite facing a plunder complaint. On other hand, Lacson was in hiding for more than a year to evade the charges that were lodged against him for his alleged involvement in the November 2000 killing of publicist Salvador "Bubby" Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito. Lacson returned to the country last March after the Court of Appeals ordered with finality the nullification of the arrest warrants against him, as well as the charges filed against him. Abuse of PAGCOR funds Topacio issued the statement after presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda was quoted in reports as saying that there was an "obvious" abuse of PAGCOR funds when the agency spent P1 billion for coffee from August 2001 to June 2010. "The recent comments of Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda regarding the issue of the alleged misuse of PAGCOR funds during the administration of chairman Efren Genuino shows the systemic hypocrisy of the Aquino Administration," he said. He explained that while the Palace defended the appointment of Pangilinan on the premise that people are presumed innocent until proven guilty, Lacierda already pronounced Genuino as guilty "without full knowledge of all the facts, and even without the case reaching the competent courts." "It alarms us that the presidential spokesman, the President’s mouthpiece no less, has taken the cudgels for the present PAGCOR chair. This betrays the determination of the executive branch to persecute Mr. Genuino regardless of the merits of the cases against him. This does not augur well for the justice system in this country," Topacio said. He likewise asked how they can expect the Justice secretary to judge Genuino fairly when President Benigno Aquino III himself has pronounced the former PAGCOR chief as "guilty." "Can we expect a political agent of the President to make a finding contrary to what the President has already made? At the same SONA, the President announced the appointment of the new Ombudsman who has been widely criticized and her appointment opposed for her bias and prejudice in favor of the sitting President and her links to a controversial law firm. How can we now expect impartial justice to be done?" he said. Topacio also recalled how the President's father, the late Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr, made the same accusation against the military tribunal. "Sen. Aquino said that since Pres. Marcos has already publicly pronounced him guilty, he can no longer expect the military tribunal to acquit him. The same sort of injustice perpetrated upon the Aquino Family then is what the incumbent President is inflicting upon those perceived to be enemies of the present government. Where is the Daang Matuwid?" he said. Current PAGCOR chairman Cristino Naguiat Jr. had said that the agency's previous administration's coffee expenses were “scandalous," “outrageous," and “offensively excessive." He revealed that P700 million of the P1 billion went to concessionaire “Promolabels Specialty Shop" which had a three- to five-year contract for operations of Figaro coffee shops in Parañaque, Angeles City, Heritage, Olongapo City, Manila Pavilion, Tagaytay and the former Casino Filipino Silahis. Despite the huge sum paid to Promolabels, however, Naguiat revealed that the company was not registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). — RSJ, GMA News