This was the argument raised by two groups in their letter to the Supreme Court expressing support to the bid to create special courts that would specifically hear cases related to the alleged systematic misuse of Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).
In a submission, the Alternative Law Groups (ALG) and the Transparency and Accountability Network (TAN) said the SC should designate a special division of the anti-graft court “in the interest of justice and due to compelling reasons.”
“We humbly ask the Supreme Court to take judicial notice of the historic and unprecedented nature of the PDAF cases which are imbued with public interest, the transactions involved, the complexities of the issues, and the number of high-ranking government officials involved,” the groups said.
The groups cited the four-year-old Maguindanao massacre trial to emphasize the significance of creating a special court to expedite court proceedings.
The multiple murder trial stemmed from the November 23, 2009 killings of 58 people, including 32 journalists, by armed men allegedly led by the powerful Ampatuan clan in Maguindanao.
The Regional Trial Court Branch 221 in Quezon City had earlier been turned into a special court to specifically handle Maguindanao massacre-related cases.
Court proceedings are held twice a week for the entire day on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Mondays, meanwhile, are reserved for hearing motions stemming from the case.
Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes was also directed to let go of non-Maguindanao massacre-related cases, which were passed on to two assisting judges. A third assisting judge helps Solis-Reyes in the massacre case.
In their letter, ALG and TAN said, “We humbly ask the honorable Supreme Court to adopt a similar action, ordering the constitution of a special sandiganbayan division that will focus on the PDAF cases, exempting such division from the assignment of new cases, and devising an appropriate mechanism to relieve such division of the burden other pending cases.”
The groups said a special court can hear, try and decide with dispatch the PDAF cases, conduct marathon trials, and adopt other measures for the speedy resolution of the cases.
“Without a special division dedicated to the PDAF cases, we are afraid that the justice system, and the country, will miss this historic opportunity to effectively and efficiently exercise and implement the accountability measures that are in place under our Constitution and laws,” the groups said.
On Tuesday, the SC once again deferred ruling on the Office of the Ombudsman’s plea to create at least two special divisions to handle the pork barrel cases.
The high court said it is still waiting for the comments from the parties involved in the cases. —KBK, GMA News
