2 special courts eyed for pork scam trial

MANILA, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman is asking the Supreme Court (SC) to create at least two special divisions of the Sandiganbayan to exclusively try and conduct continuous trial of the pork barrel fund scam cases filed yesterday against Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Ramon Revilla Jr. and Jinggoy Estrada and several others.

In a letter to Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales cited as compelling reasons the national magnitude, the complexities of the issues involved, the number of accused and the far-reaching consequences of these cases.

Invoking the Constitution and the Revised Internal Rules of the Sandiganbayan, the letter cited as precedent the SC’s Jan. 21, 2002 Resolution in A.M. No. 02-1-07-SC where the SC created a special division of the Sandiganbayan to hear, try and decide, with dispatch, the plunder case and all related cases filed against former President Joseph Estrada and his co-accused.

She said Article VIII Section 5, paragraph 5, of the Constitution states that the Supreme Court has the power to “promulgate rules concerning x x x pleading, practice, and procedure in all courts, x x x.”

Section 3, Rule III, Part I of the Revised Internal Rules of the Sandiganbayan likewise provides for the creation of a special division “where compelling reasons and the interest of justice so require.”

Special panel of prosecutors

Morales said she had also created a special prosecution panel composed of three teams to handle the first set of criminal cases filed in connection with the pork barrel fund or Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) controversy.

The group is co-chaired by Deputy Special Prosecutor John Turalba and acting Deputy Special Prosecutor Manuel Soriano Jr.

The panel’s first team is composed of acting Director Janina Hidalgo as team leader with Assistant Special Prosecutors Edwin Gomez, Jennifer Agustin-Se and Annielyn Medes-Cabellis as members.

The second team is composed of acting Director Danilo Lopez as team leader with Assistant Special Prosecutors Christina Marallag-Batacan, Anna Isabel Aurellano and Peter Jedd Boco as members.

The third team is composed of acting Director Joefferson Toribio as team leader with Assistant Special Prosecutors Jacinto de la Cruz, Lyn Dimayuga and Emerita Francia as members.

Morales said the prosecution panels would prosecute the cases against Enrile, Estrada and Revilla and their respective co-accused, respectively.