GALMAN vs. S ANDIGANBAYAN ANDIGANBAYAN
On October October 22, 1983, 1983, then then Presi Presiden dentt Marco Marcos s create created d a FactFact- Findi Finding ng Board Board to investigate the assassination of Ninoy A!ino" #he $inority and $a%ority re&orts of the Board both agreed that 'o(ando )a($an *as not the assassin b!t *as $ere(y a fa(( g!y of the $i(itary, *hich &(otted the assassination itse(f" #he $inority re&ort tags 2+ &ersons, headed by )enera( er, as res&ondents to the case" Marcos re%ected the re&orts of the Board and st!c to his c(ai$ that it *as )a($an )a($an *ho i((ed i((ed A!ino" A!ino" #hereafter, #hereafter, .andiganbayan .andiganbayan and #anodbay anodbayan an ac!itted ac!itted the res&ondents of the cri$e charged, dec(aring the$ innocent and tota((y abso(ving the$ of any civi( (iabi(ity" /n this &etition, Petitioners .at!rnina )a($an, *ife of the (ate 'o(ando )a($an, and 29 others fi(ed the &resent action a((eging that res&ondent co!rts co$$itted serio!s irreg!(arities constit!ting $istria( and res!(ting in $iscarriage of %!stice and gross vio(ation of the constit!tiona( rights of the sovereign &eo&(e of the Phi(i&&ines to d!e &rocess of (a*" A((eged(y, then President Marcos had ordered the res&ondent co!rts to *hite*ash the cri$ina( cases against the 2+ res&ondents acc!sed and &rod!ce a verdict of ac!itta(" /n his co$$ent, the 0e&!ty #anodbayan #anodbayan Man!e( errera, affir$ed the a((egations and revea(ed that Ma(aca"ang had &(anned the scenario of the tria(" 'es&ondents-acc!sed &rayed for its denia(" FACT FACTS S:
hether or not the tria( *as a $oc tria( and that the & redeter$ined %!dg$ent of ac!itta( *as !n(a*f!( and void ab initio"
ISSUE:
HELD: es" #he .!&re$e 4o!rt cannot &er$it s!ch a sha$ tria( and verdict and travesty of %!stice to stand !nrectified" !nrectified" #he #he co!rts of the the (and !nder its aegis aegis are co!rts of (a* (a* and %!stice and e!ity" #hey *o!(d have no reason to e5ist if they *ere a((o*ed to be !sed as $ere too(s of in%!stice, dece&tion and d!&(icity to s!bvert and s!&&ress the tr!th, instead of re&ositories of %!dicia( &o*er *hose %!dges are s*orn and co$$itted to render i$&artia( %!stice to a(( a(ie *ho see the enforce$ent or &rotection of a right or the &revention or redress of a *rong, *itho!t fear or favor and re$oved fro$ the &ress!res of &o(itics and &re%!dice" More so, in the case at bar *here the &eo&(e and the *or(d are entit(ed to no* the tr!th, and the integrity of o!r %!dicia( syste$ is at stae" /n (ife, as an acc!sed before the $i(itary trib!na(, Ninoy had &(eaded in vain that as a civi(ian he *as entit(ed to d!e &rocess of (a* and tria( in the reg!(ar civi( co!rts before an i$&artia( co!rt *ith an !nbiased &rosec!tor" /n death, Ninoy, as the victi$ of the 6treachero!s and vicio!s assassination6 and the re(atives and sovereign &eo&(e as the aggrieved &arties &(ead once $ore for d!e &rocess of (a* and a retria( before an i$&artia( co!rt *ith an !nbiased &rosec!tor" #he 4o!rt is constrained to dec(are the sha$ tria( a $oc tria( the non-tria( of the cent!ry-and that the &re-deter$ined %!dg$ent of ac!itta( *as !n(a*f!( and void ab initio"
