Several House of Representatives lawmakers have expressed disappointment over the acquittal of key figures in one of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam cases, saying that this should not happen again in the flood control mess.
Akbayan party-list Rep. Percival Cendaña on Friday said that they are challenging President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s administration to push for the conviction of individuals involved in the flood control issue. ‘The acquittal of those involved in the PDAF scam is a travesty that must not be repeated. We challenge the Marcos admin to swiftly convict those behind the flood control corruption, recover stolen funds, and pass the Open Bicam and Open Infra Bill,’ Cendaña said.
‘The people are watching.’
Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila de Lima on the other hand admitted feeling frustrated as she was part of the team that build the cases, being the then-Justice secretary who helped then- Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales in investigating the pork barrel scam.
‘For us in the DOJ (Department of Justice) and also those in the Ombudsman, as you know the DOJ and the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) were the first to investigate the matter. And our findings were elevated to the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman then did case build up, and when the case became strong and after finding probable cause, it was referred to the Sandiganbayan.’ she said. ‘So for us, the DOJ and Ombudsman especially the Ombudsman during the time of Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, we are somewhat frustrated when we hear that cases flowing from the PDAF-Napoles scam are dismissed, because we worked hard for it [.] and during that time we’d like to think that these were fresh and strong cases,’ she added.
According to de Lima, this may be the danger with cases being heard for a long time – because the public might lose interest by the time that the case is up for promulgation.
‘That is also the pitfall of having cases heard for a long time because there seems to be lesser scrutiny especially from the public when it takes years before an issue gets decided, and then we will be surprised that cases have been dismissed,’ she explained.
Gabriela party-list Rep. Sarah Elago, meanwhile, said that there is no difference between the PDAF scam and the flood control mess – which is why Filipinos should not remain silent regarding corruption issues.
‘There is no difference in the PDAF scam before and the flood control scam now – they are similar systems of corruption and same forms of plunder. What’s infuriating is that after several years, the guilty are free. That is how slow and rotten the justice system in the Philippines is.’ she said.
‘If we stay silent, this will be a repetitive cycle. This judgment is a message to those who would steal from the public coffers – wait for a few years, you will be released,’ Elago added.
Earlier, Sandiganbayan’s Special Third Division acquitted former Senate President and current Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile, along with his former chief of staff Gigi Reyes, of the remaining graft charges in the pork barrel scam.
According to the anti-graft court, ‘the prosecution failed to prove their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.’
In the decision penned by Special Third Division Chairperson Justice Ronald Moreno, the Sandiganbayan ordered businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles and several co-accused to jointly pay the government amounts ranging from P8 million to P40 million, with six percent annual interest from the finality of the decision until full payment, for each count of graft.
No civil liability would be imposed on Enrile, Reyes, the senator’s former deputy chief of staff, Jose Antonio Evangelista II, and other co-accused.
The charges against Enrile and his co-accused stemmed from allegations that part of his PDAF – worth P172.8 million – was channelled to a network of bogus non-government organizations owned by Napoles.
Enrile is one of the three senators charged during the term of President Benigno C. Aquino III for alleged involvement in the PDAF scam – the other two being former senators Bong Revilla and Senator Jinggoy Estrada. A little over a year ago, Sandiganbayan also acquitted Enrile of plunder, ruling that the prosecution failed to prove he received at least P50 million in kickbacks-the threshold for plunder.