Sandiganbayan indicts Cagas over pork scam

The Sandiganbayan will proceed with the trial of former Davao del Sur Rep. Marc Douglas Cagas IV after it dismissed his plea to quash the pork barrel scam charges against him.

In a resolution penned by Presiding Justice Amparo M. Cabotaje-Tang, the court’s Third Division denied Cagas’ Jan. 11 motion to quash the graft and malversation cases against him.

The court rejected Cagas’ argument that the complaint did not specify which provisions of the “appropriations law and its implementing rules” he allegedly disregarded.

The court instead pointed out the complaint established a probable violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

The court also junked Cagas’ contention that he did not directly control the funds and said the Supreme Court already held lawmakers responsible for the pork barrel funds allocated to them.

The SC ruling was established in the 2013 case where the high court declared the Priority Development Assistance Fund unconstitutional.

Meanwhile, the court did not discuss other issues raised by Cagas because they should be threshed out during trial.