(philstar.com)
Four of the accused in the "pork
barrel" scam, or the embezzling of lawmakers' Priority Development
Assistance Funds, from the Department of Budget and Management were
cleared of graft charges by the Sandiganbayan. The scam was supposedly
led by businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles (right). DBM | Senate photo
MANILA,
Philippines — The Sandiganbayan dismissed eight of the 16 graft cases
against a Department of Budget and Management (DBM) official and three
of his staff linked to the "pork barrel" scam.
In a resolution Tuesday, anti-graft court ruled that there is no
probable cause against Budget Undersecretary Mario Relampagos and DBM
employees Rosario Nunez, Lalaine Paule and Marilou Bare.
"It might not be amiss to state that had the Court known from the outset that a [Sub-Allotment Release Order, or Sub-ARO] was not issued by the DBM, no probable cause finding would have issued against Relampagos et al. in the first place," the resolution said.
It added that the Sub-ARO was not issued by the DBM but by the Central Office or Regional Office of a department or agency.
A Special Allotment Release Order, on the other hand, is solely issued by the DBM.
With the dismissal of some of the cases, the Sandiganbayan also recalled the arrest warrants against the four accused.
The court, however, ordered government prosecutors to produce
additional evidence within five days "to establish existence of probable
cause" against the DBM personnel on the remaining eight graft charges.
"Their arraignment on these cases is therefore deferred," the anti-graft court said.
The Sandiganbayan also cleared the four accused from allegations they received kickbacks from the transactions with businesswoman and plunder respondent Janet Napoles, the suspected brains of the scam.
"On the contrary, Benhur Luy's statement before the Senate hearings establishes that he did not know whether anybody at the DBM received anything," the resolution said.
"It might not be amiss to state that had the Court known from the outset that a [Sub-Allotment Release Order, or Sub-ARO] was not issued by the DBM, no probable cause finding would have issued against Relampagos et al. in the first place," the resolution said.
It added that the Sub-ARO was not issued by the DBM but by the Central Office or Regional Office of a department or agency.
A Special Allotment Release Order, on the other hand, is solely issued by the DBM.
With the dismissal of some of the cases, the Sandiganbayan also recalled the arrest warrants against the four accused.
"Their arraignment on these cases is therefore deferred," the anti-graft court said.
The Sandiganbayan also cleared the four accused from allegations they received kickbacks from the transactions with businesswoman and plunder respondent Janet Napoles, the suspected brains of the scam.
"On the contrary, Benhur Luy's statement before the Senate hearings establishes that he did not know whether anybody at the DBM received anything," the resolution said.
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