Maniolas

If it is working well in the high-profile Maguindanao massacre case, perhaps it can also work in the pork barrel scam cases now pending with the Sandiganbayan. 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 Read More …

(Updated 9:28 p.m.) Senators on Tuesday lauded the Supreme Court ruling that found the Aquino administration’s Disbursement Acceleration Program unconstitutional, saying the high tribunal in doing so upheld Congress’ exclusive authority to set the national budget. Senator Jinggoy Estrada, whose privilege speech put the DAP in the spotlight, said budget officials must be held liable for certain acts declared unconstitutional by the high tribunal. “Now that the highest court of the land said that the DAP mechanism is unconstitutional and illegal, heads must roll and budget officials must be held accountable,” Estrada said in a statement issued by his office Tuesday while he is in detention in connection with the alleged P10-billion pork barrel scam. Estrada commended the high court for “respecting and upholding Congress’ exclusive power of the purse.” Earlier in the day, the SC declared certain “acts and practices” under the DAP as unconstitutional, including the use of withdrawn unobligated allotments and unreleased appropriations as savings. The DAP started making headlines last September after Estrada bared during a privilege speech that he and other senators who favored former Chief Justice Renato Corona’s conviction in 2012 received P50 million in additional funds after the impeachment trial. Budget Secretary Florencio Abad later admitted that the additional funds came from the DAP, but maintained that the allocations were neither bribes nor incentives. Estrada delivered the speech after he, Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile and Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. were charged with plunder and graft before the Ombudsman in connection with the pork Read More …

On the last day of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms (CARPER) law, militant farmers barricaded the head office of the Department of Agrarian Reform in Quezon City early Monday. Many of the farmers blocked the gate at the DAR office, according to a photo posted on Twitter by GMA News’ Athena Imperial. Still, the militants managed to prevent some employees of the DAR and Department of Agriculture from reporting for work early. The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said that as of 8:48 a.m., the rally by Kilusang Mambubukid ng Pilipinas and Bayan Muna was snarling traffic on Elliptical Road. It said MMDA and police personnel were deployed to the site while traffic was “slow moving from Tandang Sora.” Monday is the last day of the effectivity of the CARPER law. Under Section 5 of the law, the DAR and the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC) shall “plan and program the final acquisition and distribution of all remaining unacquired and undistributed agricultural lands … until June 30, 2014.” On Sunday, militant farmers marched to the house of President Benigno Aquino III on Times Street in Quezon City. There, they burned an effigy of Aquino, who they branded pro-landlord. Militant groups also said they have scheduled a series of protests in time for Aquino’s State of the Nation Address before a joint session of Congress on July 28. —Joel Locsin/KG, GMA News

Two personalities linked to the alleged P10-billion pork barrel scam arrived at the Sandiganbayan in Quezon City almost at the same time Monday morning. Suspected mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles and Sen. Jinggoy Estrada arrived at the anti-graft court after their convoys “merged” while en route there. Both convoys arrived one after the other shortly before 8 a.m., with the convoy of Napoles arriving first, GMA News’ Tina Panganiban-Perez reported on GMA News TV’s News TV Live. Security was tighter Monday than during the arraignment of Sen. Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. last week, GMA News’ Panganiban-Perez added. Media representatives were not allowed entry to the premises as the flag ceremony was still ongoing. Supporters of Estrada arrived outside the anti-graft court early Monday. Merged convoys A report by GMA News’ Micaela Papa said the convoys merged while in Quezon City and heading for the anti-graft court premises. Both convoys merged at the EDSA-Kamuning flyover, radio dzBB’s Rodil Vega added. Napoles’ convoy came from Sta. Rosa in Laguna while that of Estrada came from the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame. Both were to be arraigned on graft and plunder charges related to the multibillion-peso scam. Estrada faces one counter and 11 counts of graft, while Napoles has three counts of plunder and 42 counts of graft. Estrada allegedly diverted his Priority Development Assistance Fund allocation to fake NGOs put up by Napoles, and pocketed P183.79 million in kickbacks.  Napoles, on the other hand, has been accused of running the scheme Read More …

A convoy bearing Sen. Jinggoy Estrada left Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame after 7:30 a.m. for the Sandiganbayan, where he is to be arraigned on graft and plunder charges related to the alleged P10-billion pork barrel scam. Estrada’s convoy left the PNP Custodial Center under tight guard, according to a report on GMA News TV’s News TV Live. Earlier Monday, a convoy bearing suspected mastermind Janet Napoles left her detention facility in Laguna for the Sandiganbayan, also for her arraignment. At the Sandiganbayan, Estrada’s relatives including his mother, former Sen. Luisa “Loi” Ejercito, arrived at the anti-graft court early, GMA News’ Bernadette Reyes reported (https://twitter.com/gmanews/status/483392210189049856). Estrada faces one count of plunder and 11 counts of graft before the Sandiganbayan. He is accused of pocketing P183.79 million in kickbacks for dealings with fake NGOs from 2004 to 2012. His Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF or pork barrel) allocations allegedly went to the said NGOs put up by Napoles. —Joel Locsin/KG, GMA News