Now this is a perfectly good example of why the Right of Reply bill should NOT be passed into law. Right now the country is watching closely the Legacy Pre-Need Scandal led by Celso delos Angeles, Congressman Ed Zialcita, and SEC Commissioner Jesus Martinez. Based on the evidence and testimonies presented so far, it’s obvious that there’s foul play going on here. My eyes literally hurt when I see pictures of these guys with their respective replies against the accusations hurled against them.
Let me quote from the article posted on Inquirer.net:
Martinez initially denied the allegations but eventually admitted that it was his son, Jesus Martinez III, who had dealings with De los Angeles.
The SEC commissioner said he could not recall meeting with Hiñola on Feb. 14, 2006, and that it was impossible for him to see her on Nov. 9, 2006, because that was the SEC anniversary.
Martinez denied owning or selling a Ford Expedition but volunteered that it was probably his son’s because the latter was involved in the buy-and-sell business.
Martinez also admitted that his son bought a house and lot in Parañaque in April last year.
Credit card, text message
Hiñola stood by her statement that she had lunch with Martinez, saying that she used her credit card in paying the P22,000 bill for the Feb. 14, 2006, meeting with Martinez and Zialcita.
To further prove that Martinez knew her, she read to senators a text message sent to her by the SEC commissioner in October last year in which she asked whether De los Angeles had changed his cell phone number because the Legacy Group founder was not acknowledging his text messages.
An irked Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile told Martinez: “You’re lying here. We’ll see to it you’re disciplined.”
SEC Commissioner Jesus Martinez is a blatant liar. It’s amazing that he initially denied everything and eventually pointed at his son when he was cornered. He put on a brave face at first but after being confronted with evidence, he folds. If we had the Right of Reply Bill passed into law, every news station, paper, and online publication will be forced to broadcast and print his lies for the equal amount of time. I mean come on, even without the Right of Reply, its’ already obvious based from his defense and his actions that he’s guilty. If he really wants to defend himself, then he should do it by countering all the evidence being presented against him. He’s just digging his own grave right now. Each time he opens his mouth, he’s just putting down another nail on his coffin.
Next on the list is Rep. Ed Zialcita. I have nothing but respect for this guy since I’ve seen what he’s done as a Congressman. However, if he really didn’t get the money, what can he do to counter the vouchers and checks that supposedly has him as the recipient? If this is 100% false, will he allow access to his bank records?
The Right of Reply bill shouldn’t be passed into law because people who are usually put in the hot seat don’t even know how to reply properly. It’s the basic rule of litigation and defense to attack the evidence presented against you but instead they would rather make sweeping statements claiming their high moral standing and innocence. Gentlemen, defending yourself is different from praising yourself. There’s a thought process behind defense, and it will always involve evidence.
Lastly, I agree with Pat’s article on Filipino Voices that there even might be more to this than what we’ve seen so far. It will be very interesting to see how this all plays out in the coming weeks.
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Tags: Celso delos Angeles, Ed Zalciata, Legacy Scandal, SEC Jesus Martinez