Decisions on flood control cases may be out this

Decisions on flood control cases may be out this | Daily Tribune

Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Geraldine Econg said the pending corruption cases include “senators and congressmen,” the first batch of which has already advanced to the defense stage in just less than a year.

The recent case lodged by the Ombudsman in the Sandiganbayan involved former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, who is facing a P7.44 billion plunder charge, along with Co, who remains in hiding abroad amid a Sandiganbayan warrant.

“If we follow the Speedy Trial Act that was enacted by the SC (Supreme Court), we will see the conviction or acquittal within the year,” Econg said during the Senate committee on finance’s deliberations on the judiciary’s proposed P86.27 billion budget for 2027.

Econg stated that the projection could be attributed to efficient case handling, compared to the previous process, resulting in a sharp decline in caseload to 525 this year from 1,229 in 2024.

The conviction rate, meanwhile, rose significantly to 82.48 percent in 2026, up from 11.2 percent in 2021, when only 1 in 10 was convicted.

“Now it has changed. We now have eight convicted out of 10,” Econg remarked.

According to the Sandiganbayan justice, the key factor contributing to the spike in the rate is the prompt proceedings, where the availability of witnesses and their ability to recall the events are still guaranteed. The prosecution is also well prepared, helping the anti-graft court to assess the facts more accurately.

“Delay, or the longer the court processes, creates also the risk of witnesses being [dead], pressured,” panel vice chair Kiko Pangilinan, a lawyer, said in agreement.

Committee chair JV Ejercito vowed that the Senate will institute necessary reforms to assist the Sandiganbayan in the speedy disposition of the flood control cases, citing public outrage.

“People are waiting for actions. And I think in our quest for accountability, we are instituting reforms so that we would like to practice transparency because we want to bring back the trust of people in government,” Ejercito said.

The lion’s share of the judiciary’s proposed budget will go to the Supreme Court and lower courts at P73.84 billion, followed by the Court of Appeals with P7.60 billion, and Sandiganbayan with P3.28 billion.

The Court of Tax Appeals will account for P1.35 billion, while the Presidential Electoral Tribunal will get the lowest at P193.43 million.

Econg told senators that the Sandiganbayan needs a second building, which would provide seven dedicated courtrooms to enable more efficient, simultaneous hearings.

She lamented that their current building on Commonwealth Avenue is overcrowded, citing limited courtrooms divided into five divisions, which creates bottlenecks in case processing.