MANILA, Philippines – The Sandiganbayan Third Division has suspended Budget Undersecretary Mario Relampagos and his staff, as well as other heads and officials of government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCC) from their positions as they face graft charges over the pork barrel scam.
In a resolution, the antigraft court suspended Relampagos and his staff Rosario Nuñez, Lalaine Paule and Marilou Bare, Technology Resource Center accountant Marivic Jover, and National Livelihood Development Corporation President Gondelina Amata as well as her staff members Emmanuel Sevidal, Chita Jalandoni, Sofia Cruz and Gregoria Buenaventura.
The court effectively granted the prosecution’s motion to suspend the officials facing trial for multiple counts of graft, a bailable offense.
“The following accused… are hereby suspended from their respective government positions and from any other public office which they may now or hereafter be holding for a period of 90 days from receipt of this resolution, unless a motion for reconsideration is seasonably filed,” according to the resolution by the Sandiganbayan division hearing the plunder case of Senator Juan Ponce Enrile.
The suspension will be lifted after the 90-day period, it added.
The court said Republic Act 3019 or the antigraft law makes the preventive suspension mandatory against public officials facing corruption charges.
“It is now settled that Section 13 of RA 3019 makes it mandatory for the Sandiganbayan to suspend any public official against whom valid information charging violation of that law, Revised Penal Code, or any offense involving fraud upon government or public funds or property is filed,” the resolution read.
The court said it is not under its jurisdiction to question this mandatory provision.
“Once the information is found to be sufficient in form and substance, then the court must issue the order of suspension as a matter of course. There are no ifs and buts about it,” the court said.
Relampagos and his budget officials were charged with graft for allegedly fast tracking the release of lawmakers’ Priority Development Assistance Funds to implementing agencies, which would in turn divert the funds to the bogus foundations of accused mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles. Meanwhile, the GOCC heads and officials were accused of using the implementing agencies as Napoles’ conduits to lawmakers’ funds.
Napoles faces multiple plunder and graft raps over the scam of pillaging lawmakers’ funds to ghost projects for kickbacks. The antigraft court’s proceedings have resulted in the detention of senators Ramon Revilla Jr. Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, and former solons Edgar Valdez and Rizalina Seachon-Lanete, who all face trial for plunder. Meanwhile, the 91-year-old Enrile is under hospital detention.