Sandiganbayan: Corrupt government execs face jail terms
Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Teresita Leonardo-de Castro yesterday warned grafters and corrupt public officials that the anti-graft court would not hesitate to impose a stiff jail term if they are found guilty.
“When we sentence grafters and corrupt public officials to stiff jail terms, the Sandiganbayan sends a strong message to our citizenry that crime does not pay and that engaging in graft and corrupt practices is a high-risk activity,” said De Castro in her message delivered before members of the Multi-Sectoral Anti-Corruption Council (MSACC) during the first-ever “NACPA Roadshow Rally for Integrity” held at the University of the Philippines Bahay ng Alumni at the UP Campus in Quezon City.
“Swift convictions serve as a deterrent against the commission of similar offenses by those who may be inclined or tempted to violate our anti-graft laws,” De Castro also said.
Some 1,000 persons from different sectors, mostly from different government agencies, marched under the torrential rain from
Among the prominent public officials who attended the rally aside from De Castro were Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte, Environment Secretary Lito Atienza, and former Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) commissioner William Dichoso.
Gutierrez is the chairperson of the MSACC.
De Castro said she signed the Covenant on
She said the Sandiganbayan is a special court of justice established to try and decide criminal and civil cases against government officials and employees accused of graft and corruption, and in promoting good governance.
However, she said, the anti-graft court must be independent and impartial, free of any external or outside pressure or influence in deciding cases. “It must be protective of the rights of the people, rich or poor, and whatever their status in life may be. It must be protective, too, of our democratic institutions,” she added.
De Castro noted that as of
To expedite the disposition of cases, the Court has focused its attention on finding ways to decongest its docket and speed up the trial and disposition of cases.
She said the Sandiganbayan has organized workshops and discussions aimed at identifying the “chokepoints” in court proceedings that contribute to the delay or hinder the speedy termination of cases.
The discussions produced two significant developments: First, the Sandiganbayan proposed further amendments to its Revised Internal Rules to address the chokepoints; and second, the Sandiganbayan justices decided to utilize modern computer technology in tracking and monitoring cases filed before the court.
De Castro said the Office of the Ombudsman and the Office of the Special Prosecutor will eventually link up their systems with that of the Sandiganbayan.
“The Sandiganbayan is the only court in the
As part of its docket decongestion program, the Sandiganbayan Justices have been conducting dialogues, under the auspices of Rule of Law Effectiveness (ROLE), with concerned stakeholders to come up with criteria for selecting pilot cases for the continuous trial of high-profile corruption cases which are now pending before the Court.
On the other hand, Belmonte urged members of the MSACC to unite and fight graft and corruption.
“Let’s all get together. Let’s unite behind this government of integrity and morality. If we want to reform society, let us start with ourselves,” Belmonte also said.
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