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Republic vs. Sandiganbayan [DECISION]

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES, petitioner, vs. HON. SANDIGANBAYAN, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, IMELDA R. MARCOS, ROSENDO D. BONDOC, CESAR E.A. VIRATA, RUBEN ANCHETA, JAIME C. LAYA, PLACIDO MAPA, JR., ROBERTO ONGPIN and CESAR C. ZALAMEA, respondents.

G.R. No. 92594 | 1994-03-04

D E C I S I O N
 
PUNO, J.:
 
An enduring touchstone of a republican form of government is its guarantee of equal protection of law. To the powerless, it is the promise of parity of treatment with the powerful when they are similarly situated. This promise must be matched with performance, and to the extent that the resolutions of the respondent court dated November 29, 1989 and March 9, 1990 accord fidelity to this constitutional precept, we affirm them.
 
Less the fat of legalesse, the facts are few and uncontroverted. Before 1986, the Landoil Group of Companies spearheaded by then Congressman Jose de Venecia, Jr., was able to...