Putting all those responsible for the corruption scandal behind bars will not happen unless the judiciary contributes by speeding up the prosecution process.

“One aspect of everything that’s happening that hasn’t really been discussed is the need for our courts to step up,” Akbayan Rep. Chel Diokno said.

Diokno said during the budget hearings that he was so surprised and even shocked when he learned of cases involving corruption and ill-gotten wealth pending for decades in the Sandiganbayan.

“There are cases that started in 1987 that haven’t been resolved up to now,” he said.

The House member made the comments following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s order for the immediate arrest of former Ako Bicol Partylist Rep. Zaldy Co and 17 other individuals involved in the controversial flood control projects.

SC must do part

“I really believe the Supreme Court (SC) should impose very strict time limits on how long a corruption case can last,” he said.

Referring to his background in the practice of law, Diokno expressed his belief that no corruption trial should last more than three years.

“Three years should be the maximum. No appeal should last more than two years. It’s really counterproductive for accountability if we allow these kinds of cases to last for five, 10, 15, 20, or 45 years,” the lawyer and academician said.

Delays in a corruption case favor the accused, he noted.

“Why? Witnesses can lose their memories. They can decide, I don’t want to testify anymore. They can go abroad. Evidence can get lost. Even the prosecutors can lose interest,” Diokno said.

The justice system must give priority to cases of corruption and resolve them as quickly as possible “without sacrificing the rights of the accused.”

2026 budget doubtful

As to the promise of President Marcos that corrupt officials will spend their Christmas in jail, Diokno said the prospect depends “on what offenses are filed.”

“We don’t know. Because as of now, we don’t really know what testimony has been presented to the ICI (Independent Commission for Infrastructure). We haven’t watched the hearings. That’s the problem. There’s no live streaming of the ICI hearings,” he said.

Diokno has expressed concern that the 2026 budget totaling P6.793 trillion is rife with the pork barrel.

“My colleagues and I were among the few who did not agree with the budget, especially the unprogrammed appropriations (UA). Because we saw in the last several years, magic entered (the budget through the UA). And that’s where all the insertions came from that were eventually exposed as ghost projects,” the legislator said.

He said the UA should be minimal, if not abolished.

“The funds for UA are really meant to be a standby. It’s not happening. And it’s a practice that must be stopped immediately,” he said.

Another improvement to the process would be to make the bicameral conference committee (bicam) process “purely open.”

“It needs to be made public. It can’t just be a secret they’re talking about. And then we need to make sure that this is institutionalized,” he stressed.

Diokno said the leadership tolerated the corrupt practices.

“What is clear to me is that our systems have failed and that the government has allowed these kinds of really terrible practices to flourish. We should not have reached this.”