Palace maintains it will follow due process in ‘pork’ scam probe

Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Aquino government is observing due process in the prosecution of politicians implicated in the multi- billion pork barrel scam, a Palace official said Saturday.

“Let’s allow the process to unfold and to go where the evidence will take us. Our laws have put down a process that we all follow, especially when it comes to the investigation, prosecution, and hearing, and eventual dispensation of a criminal charge,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in an interview on radio.

Valte was reacting to the statement of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) calling on government officials implicated in the pork barrel scam not to use their positions to influence the ongoing investigation.

She said the Malacañang would not meddle in the investigation.

“At least in this particular case, it goes to the Office of the Ombudsman, which is an independent constitutional creation,” she said.

She added that the charges filed against lawmakers who allegedly received kickbacks from the pork barrel scam would be undertaken by the Sandiganbayan.

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