Naglabas ng pahayag si Akbayan Party Rep. Chel Diokno tungkol sa pagkakawalang-sala nina Juan Ponce Enrile, Janet Napoles, at Gigi Reyes sa 15 counts of grafts na kanilang kinaharap kaugnay sa Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam o “pork barrel” scam. 

Ayon sa inupload ni Diokno sa kaniyang Facebook nitong Sabado, Oktubre 25, makikita ang larawan mula sa balitang pagkakawalang sila nina Enrile, Napoles, at Reyes. 

“When the trial of a corruption case takes a decade or more, witnesses are vulnerable: their memories can fade, they can easily lose interest in testifying ('kasi wala namang nangyayari'); and they may no longer be available to testify because they have to work abroad, get sick, or die of natural or unnatural causes,” mababasa sa caption ni Diokno.

Photo courtesy: Chel Diokno (FB)

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Pagpapatuloy pa ni Diokno, “vulnerable” ang piskal at mga witness at maaari umano silang mawalan ng interes sa isang kaso kung lalong pinatatagal ang paglilitis as mga akusado. 

“Prosecutors are just as vulnerable. Like witnesses, they can lose interest in prosecuting the case, or succumb to offers of promotion or financial gain in exchange for “going easy” on the accused[...]” ani Diokno. 

Dagdag pa niya, sinisira rin ng “pinapatagal” na trials na kaugnay sa korupsyon maging ang tiwala ng publiko sa sistema ng hustisya. 

“Prolonged corruption trials not only favor the accused; they also destroy public confidence in the justice system, and corrode the people’s faith in the ability of the government to hold corrupt officials accountable—paving the way for corruption to be normalized and for impunity to take hold,” aniya. 

Pagbabahagi pa ni Diokno, natuklasan din umano niyang marami pang mga pending cases kaugnay sa korupsyon mayroon ang Sandiganbayan sa lumipas na 20 taon. 

“When the judiciary recently appeared before the House of Representatives to defend its budget, I was shocked to learn that there are hundreds of corruption cases that have been pending in the Sandiganbayan for over 20 years. This is totally unacceptable in a country like ours where the people are demanding public accountability,” ‘ika ni Diokno. 

Pagdidiin ni Diokno, wala raw dapat na paglilitis korupsyon ang hihigit sa loob ng tatlong (3) taon at apelang tatagal sa loob ng dalawang (2) taon. 

“No corruption trial should last longer than 3 years maximum; and no appeal should take longer than 2 years,” anang Akbayan Representative. 

“Corruption cases deserve the highest priority because the victims of corruption are all of us—the people—ordinary citizens whose taxes should go to improving their quality of life, not fattening the wallets of those entrusted with government authority,” pahabol pa niya. 

Nananawagan umano si Diokno sa Korte Suprema na maglagay ng “time limits” sa itatagal ng paglilitis at pag-aapela ng mga kasong ugnay sa korupsyon. 

“When justice is delayed in corruption cases, justice is not only denied—it is desecrated. Kaya nananawagan tayo sa Korte Suprema to impose strict time limits on the trials and appeals of corruption cases,” pagtatapos pa niya. 

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Mc Vincent Mirabuna/Balita