IT is only proper and a manifestation of statesmanship that President Arroyo ordered an immediate investigation into the alleged involvement of her spouse and son in illegal operations in the country. Whether such allegation is true to establish a legal finding of probable cause to warrant the Justice Department or Office of the Ombudsman to file the charges in the proper courts. However, if the findings of either these prosecutory agencies will be that such allegation is just "unfair rumors," then not only will the charges against the respondents be dismissed. But not only that, the persons who publicly spread that allegation without any basis of truth, which they personally acquired, can be charged with criminal libel. And, lying in court to say it’s true, is another crime.
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The front-page horizontal edge-to-edge photograph of this newspaper of last Friday depicting the grand officers of "The Most Worpshipful Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the Philippines" in three long rows, with Worshipful Grand Master Hermogenes E. Ebdane Jr. in the center, shown presenting to this newspaper’s chairman a Masonic Gavel (emblem of power and authority) for his high life’s achievements. That was a very special coverage ever in the media history of this country. As a brother Mason and past Worshipful Master of a lower lodge (The Hiram 88), I take pride that the management of this newspaper of which I am one of the columnists, has the wisdom, and adheres to the maxim of human’s fraternity, equality, and liberty.
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Whether or not the oldest Ramos sister, Ester Ramos-Balley, is insane and was so also at the time her younger sister Alicia, a DFA assistant secretary, was killed, and the other younger sister Leticia succeeded to survive the attack at the same time — the alleged guilt or innocence of Robert Lumagui, as the suspect culprit who pointed to Ester as the mastermind — will not hinge on the mental condition of Ester when she allegedly induced Lumagui to do the job. In other words, the alleged sanity or insanity of Ester at that time is not material to affect the guilt or innocence of Roberto Lumagui. To be out, Lumagui should prove he didn’t kill Ester; that’s all. For Ester, to be out or punished lightly, she must prove she never induced Lumagui or that she was insane at that time. Let’s see.
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Senator Aquilino Pimentel’s proposed testimony to the Sandigan in corroboration of retired Chief Justice Andres Narvasa’s testimony to that court last week, has been anticipated by defense lawyer Jose Flaminiano as a testimony (Pimentel’s) that would bolster the claim of deposed President Joseph Estrada’s camp that the plunder charges against Erap were politically motivated. This is what Flaminiano concludes regarding the corroboraton of Pimental’s testimony. Narvasa didn’t spell clearly his testimony’s purpose as it was only focused on middlemen who allegedly facilitated Erap’s talks with his political foes. Narvasa might have left his testimony to be analyzed. If so, Pimentel’s corroboration of Narvasa’s testimony is not enough. It requires a plausible and logical theory, too.
