The Supreme Court has been presented the golden opportunity to right a wrong that has spawned corruption and a culture of impunity by elected officials.
In the hearing of the case on the suspension by the Ombudsman of Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay, Jr. before the Supreme Court, lawyers of Binay invoked the “”doctrine of condonation” also known as the “Aguinaldo doctrine” that immunizes an elected official from being removed for administrative misconduct once re-elected.
The doctrine does not apply to criminal cases.
The condonation doctrine over-stretched the proverb, “The will of the people is the will of God.”