By Mortz C. Ortigoza, MPA
These thoughts ensued after the Senate's Blue Ribbon hearing yesterday. Atty. Mel Santa Maria and Wilfredo Garrido cited those two red checks I provided below on the Witness Protection Program (WPP) Law where you can find the devil (restitution) in the details.
Senator Marcoleta - a lawyer - and prolific defense lawyer Ferdinand Topacio have been ridiculing Justice Secretary Boying Remulla of not doing his homework.
"Nasaan ang Restitution diyan sa R.A. No. 6981 ( Witness Protection, Security and Benefit Act)?" Marcoleta hissed against Boying on his media interview.
"Di ka kasi nagpa practice sa court room Panyero," Topacio digged on Remulla.
Senator Marcoleta even threatened Remulla of disbarment during the hearing for adding what the law did not provide. The beleguered Remulla just rolled with the punches until the clown and non lawyer Senator Erwin Tulfo alluded to Marcoleta with a thundering voice that reverberated from the Babuyan Islands to the lair of the Abu Sayaff in Jolo Sulu that the law should bend sometimes.
Sanamagan, so what happens now to the entrenched legal Latin maxim's Dura Lex Sed Lex (the law is harsh but it is the law)?
Sta. Maria and Garrido located somewhere in Imperial Manila came to the succor ( through social media) of Remulla who had a hard time articulating the Memorandum of Agreement With the Person's to be Protected as provided in Section 5 of R.A. No. 6981.
The duo explained there thoroughly with Latin citations that Restitution can be a sine qua non before the Discayas can be a state witness against their partners in crime while they don't go to the slammer
Lawyer's Sta. Maria thought is on this link:
Garrido thought is on this link:
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