All is well that ends well

BALANGA CITY, Bataan – It all started way back in 2007 when the National Bureau of Investigation acted on an anonymous letter reporting that the purchase of two parcels of land by the Municipal Government of Samal where the present public market stands was anomalous.

The case dragged on for ten (10) long years, which seemed like a never ending series of investigations and exchanges of accusations, presentation of pieces of evidence, filing of motions, petitions, and issuances of resolutions.

A case dragging this long is enough to break an innocent man’s courage and strength of character; but former Samal mayor and now first district of Bataan Board Member Rolando Z. Tigas stood his ground on his innocence on charges of “anti-graft and corrupt practices filed by the Office of the Ombudsman to the Sandiganbayan.

Finally, last Friday, May 25, 2017, the Fourth Division of Sandiganbayan ruled with finality and I quote; “For failure of the prosecution to prove the culpability of accused ROLANDO Z. TIGAS, his Demurer to Evidence is GRANTED and he is hereby ACQUITTED of the crime charged. The bond posted by the accused for his provisional liberty is ordered RELEASED, subject to the usual accounting and auditing procedures, and the Hold Departure Order issued against him is LIFTED”. Said decision was penned by Associate Justices Bayani H. Jacinto, Reynaldo P. Cruz and Alex L. Quiroz, Chairperson.

Once again, it can be said that the wheel of justice grinds really slowly, but just like what happened in the story “God Sees the Truth but Waits” by Leo Tolstoy, a Russian writer regarded as one of the greatest authors of all time; in the end truth and justice prevailed.