Manila: President Benigno Aquino was accused of allowing legal "short-cuts" to rush former president Gloria Arroyo to jail for alleged sabotage of the 2007 elections, a respected columnist said, adding that his deeds did not match the president's promise of a fair trial and respect for his predecessor.

"The arbitrary and summary manner in which the government [Commission on Elections and the Justice Department] rushed and abridged legal procedure did not inspire confidence in the government's assurances of a fair trial," columnist Amando Doronila of the Inquirer said.

"The rush to judgment in the preparation of the electoral sabotage complaint is not a shining demonstration of government's devotion to due process. It's full of short-cuts," Doronila said.

Doronila also condemned Justice Secretary Leila de Lima for not honouring the ruling of the Supreme Court which said Arroyo could leave for medical treatment since no complaint was filed against her. "Authorities taking orders from the justice department are fanning the flames of disobedience," he said.

Disobedience

De Lima's orchestration of this "disobedience" (of the Supreme Court) at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) last Tuesday was meant to subject Arroyo "to an intense trial by publicity", said Doronila, adding it was followed by an "all out offensive to bring Arroyo to court".

These things "sent chills down the public spine", said Doronila, adding, it also left "many Filipinos full of fears".

Noting Aquino's boldness at the height of his popularity, Doronila said, "It threw into bold relief a presidential tendency to follow a winner takes all course of action. The winner determines all rules of justice and combat."

The columnist did not explain his sources when he said all these things happened because Aquino's main intention was to send Arroyo "to jail indefinitely by Christmas".

Arroyo's lawyers said the commission on elections, an independent body, should not have allowed the justice department to build a case of alleged electoral fraud against Arroyo.

The case, at the same time, should have been sent to the anti-graft court, not a regional trial court, lawyers said.

Senator Miriam Santiago said that de Lima has been following orders from Aquino who, in turn, has been pressured by a faction in his administration to send Arroyo to jail.

At the same time, critics have been putting pressure on Aquino to get a "big fish" to substantiate his campaign promise to end corruption.