Aguirre freezes ‘paid’ midnight DOJ resos

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II has ordered a freeze on what he said were “midnight resolutions” allegedly sold and fast-tracked in the month before his predecessor, Emmanuel Caparas, left office.

The order to defer the implementation and execution of the said resolutions on motions of reconsiderations covered the period May 1 to June 30, 2016, or before the administration of President Duterte officially took over.

The order was contained in Department Order No. 524 dated Aug. 3, 2016, addressed to the prosecutor general, all senior deputy state prosecutors, senior assistant state prosecutors, assistant state prosecutors, prosecution attorneys and all regional, provincial, city prosecutors and their deputies, senior assistants and assistant prosecutors.

“In the interest of public service and pursuant to the provisions of existing laws [the said prosecutors] are hereby directed to defer the implementation and/or execution of all resolutions issued by then Secretary of Justice Emmanuel L. Caparas from May 1, 2016 to June 30, 2016 with respect to motions for reconsiderations of resolutions issued on petitions for review pursuant to Section 13 of Department Circular No. 70 (2000 National Prosecution Service Rule on Appeal), if a motion for reconsideration has been filed by the party or parties aggrieved by paid resolutions issued by Secretary Caparas,” read Aguirre’s department order, copy of which was obtained by Inquirer.net.

The order was issued following allegations by anticorruption watchdog, Filipino Alliance for Transparency and Empowerment (FATE), that Caparas made millions by allegedly selling what they said were “midnight resolutions.”

FATE spokesperson Jo Perez said the “rewritten rulings” were antedated and sold for “millions of pesos” to parties in the case. It said the resolutions were priced at P5 million to P10 million while those for big cases fetched as much as P20 million.

Caparas has denied the allegations, but has said he was willing to face any investigation.

“If this group wishes to put substance in their allegation, please let’s be fair about it,” Caparas said. “Me, I’m very fair. They can face me if they want to talk. Show me what you are talking about,” Caparas said.