What about Meralco?

The Supreme Court yesterday punished members of the Court of Appeals who reportedly took part in the GSIS vs. Meralco case bribery scandal. CA Justice Vicente Roxas was fired for violating the Canons of Judicial Ethics while his colleague, Jose Sabio, was suspended for 3 months. Other members of the committee who handled the GSIS vs. Meralco case such as Justice Myrna Vidal and Justice Vazquez were merely reprimanded and admonished. Meanwhile, alleged bribe giver businessman De Borja is to be charged with a crime by the DOJ.

So all participants were meted just punishment? I think not.

The Supreme Court did not answer the basic question of the People--did Meralco really gave bribe money to these justices? How many justices got bribed? And why did they not punished Meralco if it did, indeed, allegedly gave bribe money to influence the justices that led to that favorable decision?

How much bribe money changed hands when this case was being heard? And with this tainted decision, should it be proper for the Supreme Court to overturn the favorable decision? There should be a review of the GSIS vs. Meralco case.

The SC decision stopped short in identifying the conduit but never really probed deep enough to really identify who among the Meralco organization coordinated with De Borja in the alleged crime. I don't believe that this businessman acted alone. It is quite improbable for somebody like him to fork out 30 million pesos just because "he has personal interest" in the case? Surely, being a big-time operator, De Borja reports to a principal, which, has not been identified properly by the SC.

Government should order the Department of Justice, particularly the NBI, to probe deeper into this scandal and identify the shadowy figures involved in this mess. These people should be punished.

As of this moment, both Meralco and the GSIS have been trading legal shots at each other. Meralco took the first salvo by filing a criminal case against GSIS which it responded by countering with another case, this time, for malicious prosecution. 

It's getting messier friends and it impacts on the general perception of investors about the state not only of Philippine politics but of the business environment.