EDITORIAL - Why not a special court, indeed?

In light of concerted efforts by certain sectors to keep on with the ongoing trial by publicity of the P10 billion pork barrel scam at the Senate instead of in the proper courts where the case rightfully belongs, perhaps the time has come to consider one proposal aired, ironically, by one senator.

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, apparently realizing the increasingly negative feedback the pork barrel hearings conducted by the Senate blue ribbon committee is doing the chamber more harm than good, is now asking the Supreme Court to designate special criminal courts that would try these types of scandals.

In addition, the Senate majority leader wants these courts to hold marathon hearings on these cases, preferably on a daily basis. He thinks that if the High Court can do this, these special criminal courts can become one of its most enduring legacies.

It is not clear if the Supreme Court is willing to go along with this, considering that there already exists the Sandiganbayan with almost exactly the same functions, the only difference being that the anti-graft court is saddled with too many cases, countless of which pale in comparison with the pork barrel scam.

What Cayetano has in mind are courts that are dedicated mainly to the marathon resolution of graft cases that involve crimes of  high intrinsic value, such as those like the pork barrel scam that undermine the very core of our national institutions.

It is true, as the senator reasons out, that the wheels of justice in this country move ever so slowly such that there is a real danger that highly offensive crimes such as the pork barrel scam will eventually be overtaken by circumstances that favor their consignment into forgetfulness.

The Maguindanao massacre offers the perfect example of one highly reprehensible crime, one that has even caught the attention, and condemnation of the whole world, but which sadly had remained mired in limbo in the courts, its resolution and justice for the victims uncertain and elusive.

A special court, with a specific mandate and a clearly defined authority and responsibility, including the speedy (spell that as daily) conduct of hearings, may yet, as Cayetano proposes, be the tool this nation needs to finally give justice the respect it deserves.