Published June 4, 2021, 12:37 PM
Sandiganbayan
The Sandiganbayan has affirmed the conviction of former Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Constantino G. Jaraula, businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles, and three others for graft and malversation in the misuse of P28.8 million in Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) in 2007.
Aside from Jaraula and Napoles, also upheld was the conviction of Technology Resource Center (TRC) Group Manager Ma. Rosalinda Masongsong Lacsamana, Legislative Liaison Officer and Sales and Promotion Officer V Belina A. Concepcion, and private individual Mylene T. Encarnacion.
They were sentenced to a prison term ranging from six to 10 years in each of their three graft convictions and were also ordered to indemnify the government in the sum of P28.8 million.
The Supreme Court (SC) has denied the petition filed by former Budget Undersecretary Mario L. Relampagos and three others who challenged the graft and malversation charges lodged against them in connection with the P9.3 million Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of then Davao del Sur Rep. D
Sandigan junks Enrile bid to reconsider ruling on prosecution witness testimony By JULIA MARI ORNEDO, GMA News
Published May 26, 2021 4:43pm
Former senator Juan Ponce Enrile speaks at President Rodrigo Duterte s weekly televised briefing on May 17, 2021. Screencap from RTVM video The Sandiganbayan has once again rejected former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile’s bid to exclude as evidence the testimony of a prosecution witness in connection with the plunder charge against him and the pork barrel scam. In a resolution dated May 19, the anti-graft court denied “for lack of merit” Enrile’s motion for reconsideration asking the Sandiganbayan to set aside its January 13, 2021 resolution that declined his wish to exclude lawyer Ryan Medrano’s judicial affidavit.
Published May 26, 2021, 4:23 PM
Sandiganbayan
The Sandiganbayan has denied anew the plea for former Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile to have the testimonies of the witnesses against him in his plunder and graft cases be presented orally in open court during a hearing.
Enrile argued that his constitutional right to confrontation will be “impaired” with the use of judicial affidavits against his will, and he stressed that “where the rules allow him to decide on specific methods to be employed in his trial, such decision must be respected, not negated.”
Specifically, Enrile wanted to “require the prosecution to present the direct testimonies of their witnesses, including that of Atty. Ryan P. Medrano’s, in oral form and in open court.”
Published May 13, 2021, 3:59 PM
Senator Panfilo Lacson could be losing a grip of reality for proposing cuts in “humungous congressional insertions” tagged by the Department of Budget and Management as “For Later Release (FLR)” in order to address funding the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines for this year.
This was raised Thursday, May 13 by House Minority Leader and Abang Lingkod Partylist Rep. Joseph Stephen “Caraps” Paduano as he chided the senator for proposing the re-alignment of funds.
Paduano said Lacson should “do some reality check on his proposed realignment of budget” that was originally intended for infrastructure projects being pushed by congressmen.”