Negros Oriental governor wants case dismissed

Photo from the official website of the province of Negros Oriental

Citing unreasonable delay by the Office of the Ombudsman, Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo has sought the dismissal of his charges over the continued use of a portion of the P480.7-million calamity funds that were revoked in 2012.

In an eight-page motion on March 30, Degamo asked the Sandiganbayan Third Division to throw out his charges for one count of violating Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and 11 counts of malversation through falsification.

Degamo said the Office of the Ombudsman violated his constitutional right to the speedy disposition of his case. He said it took three years for the case, initiated in Oct. 29, 2013, to finally reach the court on Aug. 3 last year.

Although the respondents submitted their counteraffidavits and position papers from February to May 2014, the Ombudsman issued a finding of probable cause on Jan. 12, 2016 and denied the appeals five months later on May 25.

Degamo is currently out on bail.

The case arose from the provincial government’s award of 11 infrastructure contracts worth P143.2 million, even after the budget was withdrawn.