Sandiganbayan junks graft raps vs Mindoro governor

MANILA, Philippines - The Sandiganbayan has junked another graft case against a former governor over the delay on the part of the Office of the Ombudsman to complete its investigation.

The anti-graft court’s Fourth Division granted the motion filed by Occidental Mindoro Rep. Josephine Ramirez-Sato to dismiss the case against her, saying the ombudsman took too long to resolve the complaint.

The complaint over Sato’s alleged failure to account for a mobile clinic worth P3.46 million was filed in November 2001.

The Office of the Ombudsman finished its probe in November 2012.

“The period of almost 11 years for the ombudsman to resolve the case against the accused constitutes inordinate delay in resolving the case, in violation of the accused’s constitutional right to speedy disposition of her case,” the Sandiganbayan said in a decision promulgated last Jan. 23.

“Such violation gives cause for the dismissal of the case against her,” it added.

On Monday, the Second Division of the anti-graft court junked the graft case filed against former Cavite governor Erineo “Ayong” Maliksi also for the inordinate delay in filing the case.

It took nine years for the Office of the Ombudsman to complete its investigation of the complaint filed by Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla in 2005 over alleged irregularities in the purchase of medical supplies for distribution to barangay health workers in 2002.