Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Jay Velasco has called on the Sandiganbayan to expedite the resolution of the cases against Marinduque Gov. Carmencita Reyes, a member of President Aquino’s Liberal Party, which cases were filed almost two years ago.
Velasco criticized the snail-paced action on the part of the Special Prosecutor in not filing a motion to suspend Reyes, who is facing graft charges, despite the filing of the information way back in 2011.
“This is a patent double-standard of the highest order,” Velasco said, adding Reyes is yet to answer for her crime “because the accused is a member of the ruling Liberal Party while thousands of government officials have been immediately suspended by the Sandiganbayan upon the filing of the information.”
“Where is justice here when the criminal cases against the governor are strongly anchored on solid factual and legal basis,” he pointed out.
Velasco, who is still to assume his post in the House of Representatives due to the resistance of the governor’s daughter, Regina, lamented that Governor Reyes has not yet been arraigned up to now.
“It is mandatory for the Sandiganbayan to arraign an accused if there is no temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the Supreme Court (SC). Given that Governor Reyes has a pending petition before the high court, the fact that no TRO has been issued should be the basis for the arraignment of Reyes.”
In 2013, the Marinduque Reform Movement (MRM) headed by Jose Andres accused Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales of favoritism and bias in favor of Reyes.
The accusation stemmed from the long overdue suspension of Reyes in the two criminal cases which were filed more than two years ago on March 18, 2011 before the Sandiganbayan pertaining to the fertilizer fund scam.
The amount involved was P5 million, part of the P728-million fertilizer fund released by the Department of Budget and Management, for the purchase of a shredding machine and other pieces of equipment allegedly without public bidding.
Reyes, who was a member of then ruling party Lakas-CMD under former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, was alleged to have been provided the fertilizer funds for use in the 20l0 elections. She later transferred to the Liberal Party under President Aquino.
The MRM asked the Ombudsman to immediately set the two cases for hearing to determine if the two informations are valid to justify the suspension of the Marinduque governor.
The MRM pointed to Section l3 of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act as the basis for the suspension of Governor Reyes as it provides that “any incumbent public officer against whom any criminal prosecution under a valid information under RA 3019 is pending in court, shall be suspended in office.” Tribune
Also read:
Fertilizer scam trials, arrests, disparities; People of the Philippines vs Carmencita O. Reyes et al, Abdullah Dimaporo et al
