In its filing, the DOJ accused 38 former and incumbent government officials and lawmakers of plunder, malversation and corruption of public officials.
“Rest assured, you will get your resolution [in the pork barrel case] sooner than you think,” Morales said in a report aired Friday on GMA 7’s “24 Oras”.
Morales, who was in Davao for the inauguration of the Office of the Ombudsman-Mindanao, had wanted the pork scam cases resolved earlier. However, legal processes had to be followed.
“If we resolve the case in the immediate future, I’m not going to tell you how immediate is immediate, then we will let the five-day period to file a motion reconsideration (MR) pass. In the event that we find probable cause, when the MR is filed, we will resolve it ASAP,” Morales said.
Among the respondents in the pork scam cases are Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr. as well as alleged pork barrel scam operator Janet Lim-Napoles.
Just last week, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago called on the Office of the Ombudsman to at least file charges against the more prominent and high-ranking officials implicated in pork barrel cases. Santiago worried that the public would lose interest on the matter if the investigation dragged on for too long.
Morales, however, pointed out that it was not an easy task to peruse the huge amount of documentary evidence and sworn affidavits of witnesses and respondents. They also had to go through the incorporated testimonies of witnesses who appeared before Senate hearings on the pork barrel case.
Morales said some of the respondents also asked for extensions in the filing of their counter-affidavits, while others had yet to submit one.
Morales would not confirm if Napoles had submitted a counter-affidavit, but added, “You will know it soon.”
She also said the second batch of PDAF scam cases filed by the DOJ in November of last year was now under the fact-finding stage.
Additionally, the Office of the Ombudsman was investigating the alleged bogus non-government organizations (NGOs) of Godofreo Roque, to which lawmakers’ pork funds were allocated.
“While we strive to run after the corrupt, the corrupt are also running after us. So it’s a matter of who runs faster,” revealed Morales.
“But I assure you, the corrupt will never overtake us.” — Elizabeth Marcelo/DVM, GMA News
