Santiago to Ombudsman: File charges vs pork scammers

By: Norman Bordadora - 11 years ago

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago on Friday called on Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales to start filing charges in the Sandiganbayan against some of the respondents in the P10-billion pork barrel funds scam.

It has been six months since the Department of Justice filed plunder and other related charges against those implicated in the massive fraud, including Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr., Santiago said.

“For me, the point is that since it has been six months, I think it will be best if the Ombudsman already files some of the cases in court because the public is getting jaded by these public revelations in the Senate probe, plus they are not seeing any action,” Santiago told reporters.

The Senate blue ribbon committee has already held nine hearings in its inquiry into the alleged misuse of billions of pesos from the’ Priority Development Assistance Fund.

“So we don’t want public interest to die on this matter because plunder is just too important to the national economy,” Santiago said.

Sen. Teofisto Guingona III was about to wrap up the inquiry but extended it to hear the testimonies of Ruby Tuason and Dennis Cunanan after they turned in sworn affidavits that appeared to strengthen the government’s case. Another hearing is also expected when Congress resumes sessions in May with another pair of state witness applicants—National Agribusiness Corp. officials Rhodora Mendoza and Vicente Cacal.

Santiago filed a resolution asking the blue ribbon committee to summon Mendoza and Cacal to the pork barrel scam inquiry.

Mendoza and Cacal have implicated former Agriculture Secretary and now Bohol Rep. Arthur Yap and Assistant Agriculture Secretary Ophelia Agawin in the scam.

“I want to know what these higher level officials in the Department of Agriculture were doing and if it is correct that this was a high-level conspiracy. There has to be conspiracy here because you can see the result, which is plunder. But we have to know what exactly was the modus operandi,” Santiago said.

“I’ve always maintained in the Senate that if conspiracy comes from the very top, then you need extreme measures because you know that subordinates will not normally have the courage to fight against a movement or a project that has begun from the very boss of the office,” she added.