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SC upholds decision granting Napoles bail in one PDAF case
Pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles and former Masbate Rep. Rizalina Seachon-Lanete have been allowed to post bail after the Supreme Court dismissed a case related to the Priority Development Assistance Fund......»»
SC: LGU lawyers cannot represent local execs
Legal officers of local government units cannot represent LGU officials in cases filed before the Office of the Ombudsman, according to the Supreme Court......»»
Ombudsman fails to pin Napoles for plunder
The Sandiganbayan yesterday convicted Janet Lim Napoles of nine counts of corruption of a public official, but acquitted her of plunder over the so-called “pork barrel fund scandal.” Likewise found guilty of nine counts of direct bribery by the Sandiganbayan’s Fifth Division was former Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives Partylist Rep. Edgar Valdez. The convictions were in relation to the misuse of lawmakers’ Priority Development Assistance Fund or PDAF. Napoles and Valdez were each sentenced to imprisonment of two years and four months up to six years and one day, and were each meted out a fine of P26,996,700. The cases stemmed from the charges of plunder filed by the National Bureau of Investigation and the Office of the Ombudsman, which alleged that five lawmakers, including Valdez, channeled their PDAFs to Napoles’ fake non-government organizations in exchange for kickbacks. According to the information filed by the Ombudsman, Valdez received P56 million in kickbacks from Napoles. The amount was over the P50-million threshold for the crime of plunder. Lacking evidence Former senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Ramon Revilla Jr. and Jinggoy Estrada, as well as former representative Rizalina Seachon-Lanete, were among the other lawmakers accused of plunder in connection with the pork barrel scam. Revilla was acquitted in 2018 but the cases against the others are still pending before the Sandiganbayan. Enrile, Estrada and Seachon-Lanete were granted bail. The dispositive portion of the Sandiganbayan’s ruling said the evidence to prove plunder against Napoles and Valdez was lacking. “The Court finds accused Edgar de Leon Valdez and Janet Lim Napoles not guilty of plunder due to insufficient evidence proving that they had, through conspiracy, amassed, accumulated, and or acquired at least 50 million pesos of PDAF funds through kickbacks and/or commissions,” the decision read in part. Valdez was allowed to post bail in 2016 after the Fifth Division said the prosecution was only able to prove that Valdez received P2.6 million, and not P56 million, in kickbacks from a foundation belonging to Napoles, who was dubbed the “pork barrel queen.” The division rejected Napoles’ request for the court to accept her belatedly filed memorandum that cited whistleblower Benhur Luy’s testimony in a different graft case, where he allegedly acknowledged that the funds in this case were not from PDAF. The 108-page Sandiganbayan decision was per curiam, meaning, not one justice from the anti-graft court’s Fifth Division penned the ruling. The per curiam decision was signed by Associate Justice and Division Chairperson Rafael Lagos, and Associate Justices Maria Theresa Mendoza-Arcega and Maryann Corpus-Mañalac. Previous acquittals Napoles attended through videoconference, while Valdez was physically present in court on Monday morning. Napoles is currently serving prior convictions. Last May, the Sandiganbayan First Division acquitted Napoles of graft in 16 PDAF cases. Napoles and Revilla were charged with the crimes in 2014. In 2018, the court ruled in favor of Napoles and against Revilla in the plunder case. In 2021, after filing a demurrer to evidence in both graft instances, Revilla was exonerated. The court ruled that the liability of the accused could no longer be determined because they were included in the plunder case for which they were already prosecuted. The charges of plunder against Revilla, his former political officer Atty. Richard Cambe, and Napoles also constituted graft because they were based on “predicate acts,” the court said. The resolution was written by Associate Justice Geraldine Faith Econg and adopted by Division chairperson Efren dela Cruz and Associate Justice Arthur Malabaguio. Same proof “This fact became even more apparent after the presentation of the same testimonial and documentary evidence in both cases,” the resolution read. Those acquitted in that case were Gondelina Amata, Ofelia Ordoez, Sofia Cruz, Evelyn Sucgang, Francisco Figura, Ma. Rosalinda Lacsamana, Marivic Jover, Consuelo Lilian Espiritu, Victor Roman Cacal and Maria Ninez Guanizo. Dennis Cunanan, Gregoria Buenaventura, Rhodora Mendoza, Evelyn de Leon, Laarni Uy and Jocelyn Piorato were found guilty and sentenced to prison terms ranging from 6 to 8 years, and were permanently barred from holding public office. Cambe, Eulogio Rodriguez and Emmanuel Alexis Sevidal had their cases dropped after they passed away. Still another case Napoles was found guilty of two charges of graft and two counts of malversation in another batch of PDAF proceedings involving the late Davao del Sur representative Douglas Cagas. The Sandiganbayan 2nd Division observed in a ruling released on 19 May 2023, that the Anti-Money Laundering Council report corroborated the evidence of whistleblower Luy, who claimed that Napoles owned and controlled the NGOs implicated in the PDAF scam. The post Ombudsman fails to pin Napoles for plunder appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
JUST IN: Napoles acquitted by Sandiganbayan
Janet Lim Napoles and former lawmaker Edgar Valdez have been acquitted by the Sandiganbayan of the plunder of pork-barrel funds. The Sandiganbayan 5th Division cited "insufficient evidence" in absolving Napoles and Valdez of the charge that they "amassed, accumulated and or acquired at least 50 million pesos of PDAF funds through kickbacks and or commissions." In May this year, Napoles was also cleared in 16 graft cases related to the multi-billion PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund) scam. This is a developing story. The post JUST IN: Napoles acquitted by Sandiganbayan appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Sandigan junks Napoles appeal
The Sandiganbayan Second Division has junked the motion for reconsideration for the reversal of conviction in two counts of graft and two counts of malversation of alleged pork barrel fund scam queen Janet Lim Napoles. The promulgation of the resolution dated 8 August 2023 was denied by the anti-graft court for lack of merit. Napoles, through her lawyer, assailed the prosecution, saying the testimonies of her former employees, whistleblowers Benhur Luy and Mary Arlene Baltazar, were just allegations. The court though, stressed that the testimonies of Luy and Baltazar corroborated the reports and other documents from the Commission on Audit-Special Audit Office. “Prosecution witnesses Luy and Baltazar were clear, consistent and, in fact, in-depth on the matter of how they were related to her, as well as the corporation and NGOs (non-government organizations) which were established being under her control thus, making their testimonies credible,” the court said in the resolution penned by Associate Justice Edgardo Caldona, with the concurrence of Division Chairperson Oscar Herrera Jr. and Associate Justice Arthur Malabaguio. To recall, Napoles was found guilty 19 May 2022 in the P7.6-million Priority Development Assistance Fund scam cases involving the late Davao del Sur 1st District representative Douglas Cagas. The post Sandigan junks Napoles appeal appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Sandigan upholds verdict versus ex-NABCOR official
The Sandiganbayan on Tuesday announced that it has upheld its guilty verdict against former human resource supervisor Encarnita Cristina Munsod of the now-defunct National Agribusiness Corporation from the misuse of P14.55-million pork barrel of then-Nueva Ecija lawmaker Rodolfo Antonino in 2007. The anti-graft court affirmed the Sixth Division’s 11-page resolution denying Munsod’s motion seeking a reversal of the court’s 1 June decision that found her guilty of two counts of graft and two counts of malversation of public funds. She was meted to up to 41 years behind bars and was permanently barred from holding public office. On top of the conviction, the court also ordered Munsod to pay a P14.55-million fine and it must be likewise returned to the government. The cases stemmed from the alleged irregularities in Antonio’s congressional pork barrel or Priority Development Assistance Fund amounting to P14.55 million in 2007. According to prosecutors, Antonio endorsed a non-government organization as the implementor of his P14.55-million PDAF project in which the NABCOR entered into a memorandum of agreement. However, the prosecutors later discovered it was a ghost project. In June, the Sandiganbayan acquitted Antonio of the same charges for the prosecution’s failure to prove his guilt beyond reasonable doubt. In her plea, Munsod explained that she was a newly-hired probationary employee when Antonio’s PDAF-funded project was transacted in NABCOR and claimed she was merely designated to sign the disbursement vouchers. However, the Sandiganbayan stressed that her reason being a newly-hired employee at that time is not an excuse, as she was already expected to perform her duty of ensuring that the expenses were covered by vouchers. In addition, the court deemed Munsod’s signing of the said vouchers were “clearly done with gross inexcusable negligence.” “All told, despite the lengthy and repetitious submissions of accused Munsod, all the arguments therein are merely rehashed versions of what she posited before,” the Sandiganbayan said. The post Sandigan upholds verdict versus ex-NABCOR official appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Sandiganbayan junks graft cases vs. 2 TRC execs
The Sandiganbayan threw out the graft and malversation raps against two officials of the now-defunct Technology Research Center, formerly the Technology and Livelihood Resource Center, arising from the infamous multi-billion pork barrel scam. For failure of the prosecution to prove their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, the court's Second Division acquitted TRC deputy director general Dennis Cunanan and corporate support services group manager Francisco Figura. The 57-page ruling signed on 4 August ruled that Cunanan and Figura were "properly entitled to exculpation" because of their timely misgiving and protestation about the PDAF or Priority Development Assistance Fund transactions. The two erstwhile TRC execs with their other co-accused, director general Antonio Ortiz and legislative liaison officer Maria Rosalinda Lacsamana, were indicted with graft and malversation of public funds for the misuse of pork barrel funds of the late Compostella Valley Rep. Prospero Amatong from 2007 to 2013 amounting P10 million. Officials of the Philippine Environmental and Ecological Development Association Inc., chief executive officer Butch Canoy, chief operating officer Vincent Jaudian, vice president Alfredo Soriano, and treasurer Mercy Cabig were their co-respondents in the graft case. The case stemmed from the release of P9.8 million of the TRC to the non-government organization PEEDAI drawn from Amatong's PDAF for the lawmaker's supposed livelihood project in his district. However, the Ombudsman, which filed the case in 2019, later discovered that projects turned out to be non-existent or ghost. The project was awarded to PEEDAI despite its doubtful credentials and non-submission of periodic project reports and liquidation reports, according to the case. According to the Sandiganbayan, the TRC officials allowed PEEDAI "to take possession and thus misappropriate public funds, instead of implementing the said PDAF-funded project in the 2nd District of Compostela Valley, which project turned out to be non-existent." Moreover, Ombudsman said the TRC retained P200,000 as a service fee and cost of livelihood materials. The TRC officials were named co-respondents of multiple lawmakers over the alleged releases of their pork barrel funds to bogus NGOs, such as those formed and controlled by businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged pork barrel mastermind. While Cunanan Figura walked free from the charges, Lacsamana, Canoy, Jaudian, Cabig, and Soriano were found guilty of graft in the same ruling. They were sentenced to up to 10 years behind bars and ordered to return P10 million representing the amount wrongfully and illegally disbursed. Lacsamana was also meted up to 18 years of imprisonment after being found guilty of malversation of public funds. She was ordered to pay a P10 million fine and to reinstitute the government the same amount. The post Sandiganbayan junks graft cases vs. 2 TRC execs appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Huge difference (2)
Former Commission on Audit chairperson Ma. Gracia Pulido Tan and Commissioner Heidi L. Mendoza worked in tandem but their ill-fated partnership was marred by their mishandling of the audit of lawmakers’ pork barrel, which turned into a global disaster. The dysfunctional CoA turned Noynoy’s straight path into a crooked one, losing total control which led to the holocaust in Philippine fiscal administration under the triumvirate of Florencio Abad, Pulido Tan, and Mendoza. The appointees of then-president Aquino in CoA were the obstacles to the ability of President Rodrigo Duterte to fulfill his promises and meet the high public expectations. In one instance, he ordered the CoA chairman to audit the accounts of the Philippine National Red Cross, given the President’s controversy with Senator Gordon. The CoA chief rebuffed the President, saying the CoA had no jurisdiction over the PNRC. That was indeed a rebuff and a disrespect because it was incredible that a 7th placer in the Bar did not know her constitutional power to audit. But when the President directed the Solicitor General to take action and make CoA audit the Red Cross, the CoA chief blinked and said CoA would conduct an audit “next week.” Such was the naughtiness of President Noynoy’s appointees to constitutional offices. President Digong appointed the former chief accountant of Davao as CoA chief in 2022. Digong’s decision had a lot of logic and common sense. First, it would remove hindrances to the fulfillment of his promises to the people. Then Chairperson Rizalina Justol was greeted warmly by the CoA officials and staff. “I am glad to be back at CoA, an institution that I had served for 10 years as an auditing examiner,” Chairperson Justol said. She chose 1 March as the date of her assumption as chairperson, it being a significant date as it was when she left the Commission in 1996. Justol, however, was not confirmed by the Commission on Appointments, and her term was overtaken by the assumption into office of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. President Marcos then appointed National Telecommunications Commissioner Gamaliel A. Cordoba as CoA. He took his oath of office before Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Alexander Gesmundo. Cordoba obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1992. He entered the Ateneo School of Law and obtained his law degree in 1996. He passed the Bar in 1997. Atty. Cordoba was supposed to enjoy life with his appointment to the exalted post of chairman of the Commission, not far down the line of succession from the Head of State, but his life has been complicated by the backlog of more than 6,000 cases left behind by the former Commission Proper who wasted their official time on too much foreign travel, on the unconstitutional citizen participatory audit, and simply with their lack of direction. Cordoba was conferred the Order of the Rising Sun by Japan as a rising star of the Philippines. (To be continued) The post Huge difference (2) appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Hope for RA 1616 retirees
Over a thousand state auditors and numerous more from other government offices, who retired under Republic Act 1616, were pinning their hopes for an additional monthly pension under a Senate bill filed by Senator Chiz Escudero more than a decade ago. Their hopes were unfortunately overtaken by the “holocaust” in the fiscal administration in the Philippines from 2011 to 2014. With the minds of DBM Secretary Florencio Abad and those of some lawmakers in turmoil, over the “kahindik-hindik” (disgusting) audit report on their pork barrel, the bill went nowhere. But today, with a silver lining in every sector of government, there is hope the Escudero bill could move toward approval. During the 16th Congress, Senator Escudero introduced Senate Bill 588: “An Act to Grant Monthly Pension to Government Retirees under R.A. 1616 Who Have Reached the Age of Seventy Years.” Here were the bill’s features: Section I. Declaration of Policy – The Constitution provides that the State shall occasionally review to upgrade the pensions and other benefits due to retirees of both the government and private sectors. As far as possible, it should provide those who have less in life the opportunity to earn a living so that they may play a more active role in social life, especially in the economic and political spheres. It is the duty of the State to create conditions that are necessary to realize the right of all citizens, particularly the underprivileged, to equal opportunity. To this end, the State shall grant a Monthly Pension to government retirees who have availed of retirement benefits under Republic Act No. 1616. Senator Escudero was pushing for this bill. He said government pensioners are provided a gratuity under RA 1616, but the law that was enacted in 1957 could no longer sufficiently provide for the needs of the government retirees five years after the retirement age of 65. “The proposal recognizes that the majority of this class of retirees have been living in abject poverty, and many of them have to depend on close relatives and friends. Aged government personnel who retired need monthly pensions because, at their late age, their opportunities for earning are almost nil,” Escudero said. “The lump sum they received under RA 1616 was greatly eroded by the economic slump and high cost of living. Their economic difficulties were aggravated when the country suffered from the devastating effects of natural calamities,” he added. Under SB 588, the gratuity is payable by the last employer. The employee is also entitled to a refund of the retirement premiums he paid to the GSIS, his personal share with interest, and the government share without interest. The requirements to qualify are: (1) the retirees must be in government service on or before 31 May 1977; (2) has rendered at least 20 years of service regardless of age and employment status; and (3) his/her last three years of service before retirement must be continuous, except in cases of death, disability, abolition or phase out of position due to reorganization. The post Hope for RA 1616 retirees appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
La Union solon cleared over PDAF raps
The Sandiganbayan First Division on Tuesday cleared ex-La Union lawmaker Thomas De Lara Dumpit Jr. over multiple charges of graft and malversation related to the infamous multi-million pork barrel scam. In a 227-page decision released Tuesday, the anti-graft court acquitted Dumpit of nine counts of graft, three of malversation of public funds, and six of malversation through falsifying public documents. The lawmaker was indicted in the case for allegedly funneling his Priority Development Assistance Fund or PDAF allocations from 2007 to 2009 amounting to P45 million to Kabuhayan at Kalusugang Alay sa Masa Foundation Inc. on livelihood projects in 18 barangays in Tubao, La Union. The charges were formally dropped after the court ruled that his signature on the documents was forged. It also noted that the prosecution’s inability to present a witness to testify that Dumpit indeed signed the documents relevant to the cases further bolstered the acquisition. “Given this premise, there is then no evidence to sufficiently prove that accused Dumpit had any participation in the crimes charged herein,” said the court. The post La Union solon cleared over PDAF raps appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Sandiganbayan convicts Napoles, ex-Davao lawmaker for graft over PDAF
MANILA, Philippines — A former lawmaker of Davao del Norte’s first district and pork barrel scam alleged mastermind Janet Lim Napoles have been found guilty of graft by Sandiganbayan. The decision pertains to cases involving the appropriation of funds to a fake non-government organization (NGO). In a decision from the Second Division posted in the […] The post Sandiganbayan convicts Napoles, ex-Davao lawmaker for graft over PDAF appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Antonino cleared of pork charges
Former Nueva Ecija Rep. Rodolfo Antonino was acquitted by the Sandiganbayan of graft and malversation charges related to the misuse of P14.55 million in the Priority Development Assistance Fund or PDAF in 2007. The anti-graft court cleared Antonino of two counts of graft and two counts of malversation of public funds after the prosecution failed to prove his guilt beyond reasonable doubt. The cases against the erstwhile lawmaker stemmed from allegations of irregularities in the use of the congressional pork barrel that allegedly funded ghost livelihood projects amounting to P14.55 million in 2007. He was charged after the Buhay Mo Mahal Ko Foundation Inc. or BMMKFI, the non-government organization he endorsed to the Department of Agriculture as implementor of his livelihood training kits project, procured exclusively from C.C. Barredo 7,275 sets of training kits worth P2,000 each for a total of P14.55 million. Prosecutors found that these were ghost projects as several local officials of Nueva Ecija denied receiving any of the kits. Investigation showed the procurement did not go through the appropriate public bidding process. The program was also not supported by any project proposal, physical and audited financial records, monitoring reports, or due diligence done throughout the supplier and non-government organization selection process, according to the Ombudsman. Manifest partiality rapped In acquitting Antonino, the Sandiganbayan Sixth Division said in a 94-page decision that while state prosecutors were able to prove Antonino acted with “manifest partiality” when he requested the transfer of his PDAF allocation to the National Agribusiness Corp., a now-defunct state corporation, this was “different” from what was alleged in the criminal information. The court added that the prosecution failed to prove that he chose and backed the nongovernmental organization on his own as his “project partner.” “The prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt accused Antonino’s participation in the utilization of his PDAF after he made the said request. As previously discussed, there was no proof, aside from the ‘whereas clause’ in the Nabcor-BMMKFI memorandum of agreement, that accused Antonino chose and endorsed BMMKFI as ‘project partner’ to implement the subject livelihood project,” the Sandiganbayan ruling read. While the anti-graft court ruled in Antonino’s favor, his co-accused, Encarnita Cristina Munsod, the ex-human resource supervisor of the state-run Nabcor, was meted out a 14-year prison sentence on two counts of graft and another 27 years on two counts of malversation of public funds with perpetual disqualification from holding public office. The court also ordered Munsod to pay a P14.5-million fine, the amount misappropriated, and to repay the government the same sum. Meanwhile, the anti-graft court ordered the lifting of the hold-departure order on Antonino and the release of his monetary bond, subject to accounting processes. The post Antonino cleared of pork charges appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Kin of political prisoners ask high court to ‘promulgate writ of kalayaan’
“It is a travesty of justice that pork barrel mastermind Janet Napoles has been acquitted along with her cohorts who are now sitting senators, but no political prisoner whose cases are made up has been included in any of the trumpeted mass releases of elderly PDLs since the start of the pandemic in 2020.” The post Kin of political prisoners ask high court to ‘promulgate writ of kalayaan’ appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
Families of political prisoners ask high court to ‘promulgate writ of kalayaan’
“It is a travesty of justice that pork barrel mastermind Janet Napoles has been acquitted along with her cohorts who are now sitting senators, but no political prisoner whose cases are made up has been included in any of the trumpeted mass releases of elderly PDLs since the start of the pandemic in 2020.” The post Families of political prisoners ask high court to ‘promulgate writ of kalayaan’ appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
Napoles acquittal a ‘sad day for public accountability’ – Hontiveros
Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday criticized the acquittal of Janet Napoles in 16 graft and corruption cases related to the multibillion-peso Priority Development Assistance Fund scam, describing it a “sad day for public accountability and anti-graft efforts.” In a statement, Hontiveros also called that Napoles’ acquittal was an “offense” to the Filipino people. “It is an offense to the Filipino public that Janet Napoles' sentence is diluted and is incommensurate to the gravity of the corruption she engineered because the prosecution failed to provide sufficient evidence,” she said. The senator expressed hope that the acquittal of Napoles would not discourage the Senate and law enforcement from “continuously pushing for investigations and exposés that shed a harsh and necessary light on corruption ploys.” “Our countrymen continue to suffer because of corruption. We should continue depriving these avaricious appetites, and not sating them,” she said. On Monday, the Sandiganbayan’s first division acquitted Napoles on 16 graft and corruption charges related to the pork barrel of Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla. Revilla has been acquitted of the same charges in 2021. In a separate ruling, the Sandiganbayan’s second division convicted Napoles of two counts of graft and two counts of malversation related to the misuse of the late former Davao Del Sur 1st district Rep. Douglas Cagas. The post Napoles acquittal a ‘sad day for public accountability’ – Hontiveros appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Sandiganbayan acquits Napoles in 16 graft raps over pork barrel scam
MANILA, Philippines — Convicted pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles has been acquitted in 16 counts of graft raps relating to the pork barrel scam involving Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., the Sandiganbayan declared. In its decision released and dated May 22, 2023, the anti-graft court’s First Division dismissed the cases against Napoles for […] The post Sandiganbayan acquits Napoles in 16 graft raps over pork barrel scam appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Sandigan denies Cunanan travel plea
The request of former Director General Dennis Cunanan of the now-defunct Technology Resource Center to travel abroad has been thumbed down by the Sandiganbayan’s special division of five justices by a vote of 3-2, labelling him a flight risk. Cunanan, who is still facing numerous charges in connection with his involvement in the multi-billion peso Priority Development Assistance Fund or pork barrel scam, filed a Motion for Leave of Court to Travel on 14 March to attend his daughter’s Purdue University graduation ceremony on 13 May. Cunanan stated in his plea that since the PDAF lawsuits were filed in early 2014, he has not been permitted to travel or see his daughter, and his attendance at her graduation is indispensable since such monumental occasions are infrequent. However, the court noted that his cases pending before the Sandiganbayan, as well as his convictions under appeal before the Supreme Court, may serve as a stepping stone for him to flee and never return to the Philippines. “Thus, there is a strong possibility that accused Cunanan’s travel abroad may be a ruse to abscond from his criminal conviction and prosecution in the country,” the 12-page resolution penned by Associate Justice Zaldy Trespeses with the concurrence of Associate Justices Rafael Lagos and Ma. Theresa Dolores Gomez-Estoesta read. In denying the motion, the anti-graft court specifically cited Cunanan’s indictment in several PDAF cases and his conviction on two counts of graft and two counts of misappropriation of public funds. “Accused Cunanan had already been convicted in SB-17-CRM-1496 and 1497, and in SB-17-CRM-0930 and 0940, both entitled People v. Gregorio Tipong, et al. Such convictions by Cunanan, though not yet final, make him a flight risk and necessitates that the court takes greater caution in determining whether he should be allowed to travel in order to safeguard the system of justice,” it said. The court also took issue with Cunanan’s wish to spend two weeks in the US, taking into consideration that the graduation ceremony is a one-day affair. Associate Justice Sarah Jane Fernandez, however, dissented, saying that the SC had already permitted Cunanan to leave overseas in a resolution dated 26 June 2022, notwithstanding the pendency of multiple criminal cases against him, including his conviction on some offenses. Fernandez, in her dissenting opinion, argued that prosecutors have no other basis for claiming that Cunanan should be considered a flight risk; thus, not allowing him to travel abroad unduly deprive him of his constitutional right to travel. While the graduation of the defendant’s daughter was a “rare and momentous occasion,” the majority of the justices, however, ruled that it was not an urgent necessity. The post Sandigan denies Cunanan travel plea appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Gigi Reyes can’t skip personal appearance in trial
The Third Division of the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan has turned down the bid of lawyer Jessica Lucila “Gigi” Reyes, Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile’s former chief of staff, to waive her personal appearance in the trial of her plunder and graft cases in connection with the pork barrel scam......»»
Ombudsman won’t appeal Revilla’s acquittal in ‘pork’ raps
The Office of the Ombudsman will no longer appeal the Sandiganbayan’s dismissal of all graft cases filed against Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. in connection with the pork barrel scam, saying that doing so would violate his constitutional right against double jeopardy......»»
Ousted Sandigan justice to get benefits
Following the dismissal of all graft cases filed against Sen. Bong Revilla in connection with the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam, the Supreme Court has allowed dismissed Sandiganbayan justice Gregory Ong to receive his retirement benefits and resume working in government......»»