One year is too long for the Office of the Ombudsman--which prosecutes government officials--to file plunder complaints against lawmakers who have been found to have misused their Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) before the Sandiganbayan.
This was emphasized by the minority bloc in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, adding that cases should be lodged by December.
The government by this time should have the evidence to back its allegations against those who have erred in using their pork barrel funds, Minority Leader Ronaldo Zamora said.
"Let us remember that this is not a new case. We are not looking for new evidence. All of these things are being talked about, many whistleblowers have spoken. There are voluminous documents presented about the case. If this is not probable cause, then what does probable cause mean?" Zamora said in a news conference.
The bloc was reacting to a statement by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, who said that her office would be able to decide in a year or less the plunder case against Janet Lim Napoles and three senators and several former congressmen involved in the pork barrel scam.
On Monday, the Department of Justice filed cases against Senators JuanPonce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, and Ramon Revilla Jr., former Housemembers and several others for allegedly channelling pork barrel fundsinto bogus projects.
In the same news conference, Representative Silvestre Bello of 1-Banatat Ahapo partylist said the filing of charges before the anti-graft court should not take a year "because in effect, they will only be affirming the DOJ findings."
Zamora said that it was important that the case can be brought to the court to try and punish the guilty and absolve the innocent.
"Between now and one year, malaki ang possibility na magkakaron ng iba pang malaking kaso, baka makalimutan ang impotance ng kasong ito," he added.
Zamora said they are awaiting the other names that the DoJ will include in the pork barrel case, including lawmakers who allegedly misused their PDAF based on the Commission on Audit special audit report.
He said they would ask the DoJ about the progress of the case when its budget is tackled in plenary within the week.
source: interaksyon.com