AS A WONDERFUL country of more than 7,600 islands, one blessed with breathtaking scenery and beautiful, kind and friendly people, the Philippines is considered a tropical paradise.
Most of its people are well-educated and (supposedly) leading Christian lives, and thousands are dedicated to making the country more just. They believe that faith means giving justice to the poor and downtrodden and opposing wrongdoing and injustice.
They are the true heroes; many of them died turning their faith into action by serving the poor, the abused and the exploited.
There are hundreds of sexually abused and exploited children crying out for healing and justice. There are many dedicated prosecutors and judges working to deliver justice for these children and discourage further abuse. They help enhance the reputation of the Department of Justice and the country’s judiciary in general.
It is well-documented that when courageous children report abuse to them in Zambales, prosecutors such as Bernardine Santos, Joe Mari Nacin, Emmanuel Mas Jr., Gladys Bautista, and Marey Beth Marzan act quickly and fight to secure justice for these kids.
The judges in the family courts in Zambales and Olongapo — Maribel Mariano-Beltran, Melani Fay Tadili and Edwin Torres — are also very prompt and dedicated in ensuring justice will prevail. They give hope to abused children waiting for justice.
An annual average of 20 children helped by the Preda Foundation attain justice in these efficient courts despite their heavy workload.
Unfortunately, this is not the case in other family courts. There is a judge that constantly allows hearings to be postponed for months, all for the benefit of the accused.
Prolonged postponements are frequently requested by defense lawyers, and when the judge approves it, the affected children become frustrated, suffer witness fatigue and lose hope.
If a child does testify after a year of such postponements, it is possible she would no longer recall details of her testimony, and the judge may acquit the abuser as a result.
Also, the subpoena for the child to testify is frequently lost, having been sent by “snail” mail and never by email, like what other courts do. The case is then dismissed due to the absence of the child victim, who did not get the subpoena.
A public prosecutor does not even exert the effort to contact the child victim or her social worker. The brave child victim loses, while her abuser walks free, laughing with impunity, and might throw a victory party with gifts all around. He is free to abuse again. As the saying goes, justice delayed is justice denied.
Clearly, justice is not being served. Unless action is taken, this sad truth can put the much-respected judicial system in a bad light and cause the loss of trust and confidence in the judiciary as a whole.
The greatest injustice is suffered by child victims of sexual abuse committed by parents, relatives, teachers, clergymen and corrupt prosecutors and judges. Hundreds of perpetrators of this heinous crime are allowed to go free by corrupt judges without answering for their crimes and they will abuse more children. (To be continued)/PN
