Drilon cautions groups vs rushing Arroyo plunder cases

A lawmaker allied with President Benigno Aquino III on Sunday advised groups pursuing plunder charges against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo not to pressure the Department of Justice and Office of the Ombudsman into rushing a case against her. Sen. Franklin Drilon, a former DOJ secretary, issued the advice even as he voiced support for the Ombudsman’s plan to hire 100 new lawyers to handle the cases brought to it. “Ako ay nakikiusap sa mga grupo, pagdating sa DOJ naghahanap yan ng sapat na ebidensya para ma-justify ang pagsampa ng kaso. Ito namang ating mga kasamahan, good intention nguni’t mukhang nagmamadali at ayaw ko isipin sila nagmamadali dahil sa media coverage," Drilon said in an interview on dzBB radio. He advised them to go slow and make sure the complaints they file are supported by strong evidence. Besides, he said the DOJ and the Office of the Ombudsman will not go ahead with a case that they believe lacks evidence, lest it be thrown out by the judge. “Ang aking payo sa kanila, hinay-hinay at tingnan nang husto ang kasong sinasampa kung may sapat na ebidensya dahil itong kaso lalo ito ay non-bailable offense, di basta-basta magsampa ang Ombudsman o DOJ, hindi basta-basta magsasampa ng kaso na plunder kung walang sapat na ebidensya dahilan ang judge ay hindi mag-issue ng warrant of arrest for a non-bailable offense kung mahina ang ebidensya," said Drilon, Aquino’s party-mate in the Liberal Party. Several groups had filed plunder complaints against Arroyo, now a congresswoman representing the second district of Pampanga, for various alleged graft cases during her nine-year stay in office. More lawyers Meanwhile, Drilon said he will support the Ombudsman’s reported plan to hire some 100 lawyers to pursue cases the government is handling. Drilon chairs the Senate’s finance committee, which is now in the process of deliberating the proposed budgets for 2012 of government agencies. “Hindi ko na-examine ang budget ng Ombudsman nguni’t susuportahan ko yan, susuportahan natin ng pondo para mabigyan natin ng pagkakataon magkaroon ng maayos na paglilitis sa kasong ito dahilan sa di biro ang kasong lumalabas ngayon," he said. “In general I support the move for (an) additional 100 lawyers, independent, competent lawyers to help the Ombudsman prosecute the cases," he added. — KBK, GMA News