Lawyer doubts 'pork' prosecutors' credibility

MANILA, Philippines — The track records of members of the Office of the Ombudsman's special prosecution panel handling the pork barrel scam-related cases raise questions about their integrity, a high-profile lawyer said Monday.

Lawyer Harry Roque, professor at the University of the Philippines College of Law, opposed the appointment of acting Director Danilo Lopez and Deputy Special Prosecutor John Turalba in the government prosecution panel as they do not seem to have a clean slate.

Lopez leads the panel handling the plunder charges against Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, while Turalba leads the main prosecution panel.

"Nadiskubre ko, itong si Prosecutor Lopez na siyang tumatayong chairman ng special prosecution team ay siya palang nagpa-dismiss nung P300 million na graft case kaugnay ng mga lamp post doon sa Cebu," Roque said in an interview with dzMM.

Complainants claimed that the lamp post project in Cebu in preparation for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in 2006 was 10 times overpriced, but Lopez withdrew the case due to lack of evidence.

"Nag-aalalangan lang ako ngayon na kung bakit despite merong ganitong record eh siya pa ang ginawa ngayong head ng panel para dito sa pinaka-high profile case laban sa mga senador," Roque said.

Turalba, meanwhile, handled a government case of graft and illegal disposition of firearms against Philippine National Police (PNP) official Reynaldo Varilla for the diversion of 72 sub-machine guns.

The cases were terminated in 2007 while Varilla was appointed director of the National Capital Region Police Officer and promoted to a three-star rank.

"Ang sa akin lang, wala na bang iba? Nais naman nating magkaroon ng example 'yung publiko na kapag ikaw ay nagnakaw, ikaw ay makukulong," Roque, who calls himself an activist-lawyer, said.

Roque said that the spotty background of the state lawyers in one of the biggest corruption trials in recent history may not assure the public that justice will be served.

"Dahil ito ang gusto nating mangyari, kailangan naman kumuha tayo ng mga tried and tested," he said.

"Explore natin kung pwedeng kumuha ng mga abogado ang Ombudsman, kung pwedeng magtalaga ng ibang abogado na galing sa gobyerno mismo ... nang masiguro naman natin na patas naman ang laban," Roque added.

He said that government should appoint lawyers who are the best representatives of the state. - Camille Diola