OPINION: Justice through the eyes of a lawmaker

DEPUTY ELÍAS VIGIL, in a fit of arrogance during the period of incidents in the plenary session of the National Assembly, challenged the local judicial authorities to present the evidence against his sister, recently arrested in an anti-drug operation. This reaction is far from the behavior of an official whose main function is, precisely, to create and approve laws, the same ones that today have been applied to a member of his family. Neither the Judicial Branch nor the Public Ministry has to present evidence to him since there is a procedure created by law to precisely judge people in a process in which their rights are guaranteed. So how can he be demanding extrajudicial action, when you know perfectly well that neither prosecutors nor judges nor magistrates can access this type of “challenge”? The case must be developed in the judicial instances dictated by law and not in the National Assembly. Or is it that the deputy intends that this case be aired and resolved in the Legislative? As much as you may dislike justice in Panama, the law is for everyone and must be followed, even if a family member allegedly violated it. – LA PRENSA, Feb.11.