Sandiganbayan aspires to solve flood control cases in 6-8 months

National

THE Sandiganbayan is preparing to fast-track the trial of individuals allegedly involved in the multibillion-peso flood control corruption scandal, vowing to deliver verdicts within six to eight months once cases are filed by the Office of the Ombudsman.

Presiding Justice Geraldine Faith Econg made the announcement Tuesday night, saying the anti-graft court is ready for what she described as a “deluge of cases” expected to stem from the Ombudsman’s probe into anomalous flood control projects.

“We are prepared to do our share in ensuring accountability,” Econg said in an interview with GMA News. “If someone must be held liable, we will make sure they are held accountable — but always with due process.”

The Ombudsman is expected to file the first batch of cases next month, involving at least six flood control projects in Bulacan and Oriental Mindoro.

These projects, worth around ₱249 million, were implemented under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office and have been the subject of graft complaints since September.

According to Econg, the Sandiganbayan will soon submit to the Supreme Court a proposed set of new rules designed to expedite corruption trials.

If approved, the guidelines will drastically shorten the timeline for cases — from arraignment to final judgment — to just six to eight months. “This will ensure that justice is not only fair but also swift,” she emphasized.

Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo has expressed full support for the initiative, saying the Supreme Court will immediately review and act on the Sandiganbayan’s proposals.

“We will see to it that these reforms are properly implemented and aligned with judicial standards,” Gesmundo said during the third anniversary of the Supreme Court’s five-year Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations.

Under the proposed rules, five to 10 days will be allotted for arraignment and pre-trial once an accused is arrested or voluntarily surrenders.

The trial proper will run for a total of 120 days — with 60 days each for the prosecution and defense to present their evidence.

Once the trial concludes, the court division will have 60 days to promulgate its decision, with specific time allocations for drafting and review among the justices.

Econg clarified that while the court cannot guarantee convictions, it can promise resolution.

“By next year, we will already have decisions,” she said. “I cannot assure imprisonment, but I can assure that justice will be served through timely judgment.”

The presiding justice also revealed that the Sandiganbayan is open to livestreaming the flood control hearings, depending on the Supreme Court’s approval.

“We are not hiding anything,” Econg said. “If that’s the public’s clamor, we will request it. The beauty of continuous trial is that even the public can see how the proceedings unfold.”

Meanwhile, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla confirmed that the preliminary investigation is ongoing, focusing on questionable flood control projects in Malolos, Hagonoy, Baliwag, Bulakan, and Calumpit in Bulacan, as well as in Oriental Mindoro.

He said his office is committed to completing the investigation and filing charges as soon as possible.

The intensified scrutiny on flood control projects comes amid growing calls for greater transparency in infrastructure spending, particularly after reports surfaced of ghost projects, overpricing, and falsified documents in DPWH’s local engineering offices.

With the Sandiganbayan’s new commitment to speed up trials, legal experts say the move could mark a major step toward curbing corruption in public works — and restoring public confidence in the country’s justice system.(Xienderlyn Trinidad, USJ-R Comm Intern)