Senator Allan Peter Cayetano INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano urged Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales on Tuesday to act swiftly on the cases filed at her office in connection with the alleged “pork barrel” scam.
“While I understand the workload of the Ombudsman, while I understand that she’s the former Justice of the Supreme Court, I ask her to expedite the cases and act swiftly,” Cayetano said when he spoke before the 2nd Philippine Professional Summit held at the Manila Hotel.
“We must have due process. We must have justice…People are waiting for government to act. Ano ba talaga? Guilty ba sila at kasuhan at ikulong or inosente (Are they guilty? Should they be charged and jailed? Or are they innocent?)…Kung hindi po (If not), we will continue to be in limbo,” he said.
Cayetano said Morales’ promise to decide on the plunder and other criminal charges filed at her office last month in connection with the P10 billion pork barrel scam was too long.
“Ang tingin ko, yung one year na hinihingi at most ng Ombudsman ay masyadong matagal (I think that one year the Ombudsman is asking is too long),” the senator told reporters after the event.
“Naiintindihan ko na napakahirap ng trabaho ng Ombudsman. Naiintindihan ko na may due process. Pero tandaan natin ang pinag uusapan pa lang natin yung finding ng Ombudsman na pwede nang tumuloy sa preliminary investigation (I understand the Ombudsman’s job is hard. I understand there is due process. But let us bear in mind we’re talking about the findings of the Ombudsman that it could proceed to the preliminary investigation),” he said.
The filing of cases in court, he said, would only come after the determination of probable cause by the Ombudsman.
“So kung doon pa lang sa determination aabot na ng six months or one year, anong mangyayari sa atin kung for one year ito lang ang issue natin…?” asked the senator.
(If the determination [of probable cause] alone will take six months or one year, what will happen if this is our only issue for one year?)
“I think there’s a way for the Office of the Ombudsman to speed up these cases without sacrificing due process and justice,” he added.
Cayetano said the Ombudsman should be able to start the preliminary investigation of the cases within the year.
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