Gov’t ‘slow’ in acting on flood control scandal? Palace says due process being followed

Amid criticism over its alleged slow response to the flood control scandal, Malacañang on Monday maintained that the government must follow due process in holding personalities accountable to prevent their human rights from being violated.

In a press briefing in Kuala Lumpur, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro was asked to comment on the call of business groups and trade unions for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to take “bold, concrete steps” against corruption to restore the public’s faith in government institutions.

Castro said due process must be observed in the investigation of the flood control anomalies and that due process cannot be hurried.

“Sa mga naiinip, ang pamahalaan po ay nasa tamang pagkilos na naaayon sa batas. Nagmamadali? Yes, minamadali lahat pero hindi natin mamamadali ang lahat pero magba-violate tayo ng batas at ng human rights,” Castro said.

(To those who are getting impatient, the government is acting in accordance with the law. Are we in a hurry? Yes, we are expediting things but not everything, because we might end up violating the law and human rights.)

“Kayo rin po ay mabibiktima kapag ka walang due process. So isipin natin, ang ginagawa ng pamahalaan ngayon ay may katungkulan sa due process,” she added in a press briefing on the sidelines of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Kuala Lumpur.

(You may also end up as victims if there is no due process. So let us think of it this way, what the government is doing is part of due process.)

Castro made the remarks after the country’s largest business groups and trade unions urged Marcos to undertake “bold, concrete actions” against corruption to restore Filipinos’ faith in the government.

They suggested genuine reforms in the national budget process, the recovery of stolen wealth, and the creation of a special Sandiganbayan division that will solely handle infrastructure corruption cases, among other proposals.

The business and workers’ groups lamented that instead of hold departure orders against personalities implicated in the flood control scandal, “we are told to be content with immigration lookout bulletins for now.”

“Instead of going after the most guilty, we are led on political detours, chasing the less guilty, depending on who sits where and who stands with whom. So what now, Mr. President?” they asked.

Castro stressed that since Marcos called out corruption in flood control projects in his State of the Nation Address in July, the government has taken several actions towards accountability.

She cited the freezing of assets that were ordered by the Anti-Money Laundering Council, the filing of cases, and the issuance of immigration lookout bulletin orders against several personalities.

“Sino man ang mademanda kayo man o ibang tao basta due process po ang lagi nating papanatilihin na marespeto. So, iyon lamang po. Sana po maintindihan po nila iyon,” Castro said.

(Regardless of whoever gets charged, we will observe and respect due process. We hope that they understand that.)

As to the question of why no hold departure order has been issued, Castro explained that this is something that is decided by the courts. Similarly, courts are the ones who decide on the issuance of arrest warrants, she said.

“Hindi po natin basta-basta maaaring tawagin or sabihin na ang isang tao ay hindi ka puwedeng magbiyahe – iyan naman po ay lalabag sa batas dahil lahat naman din po tayo ay may freedom of movement, iyan po ay isang constitutional right,” Castro said.

(We cannot just say or tell a person that he or she can no longer travel – that is against the law because all of us have freedom of movement, that is a constitutional right.)

As to the appeal for the President to certify a bill that would grant full contempt powers to the Independent Commission on Infrastructure, Castro pointed out that personalities summoned by the ICI still show up to cooperate with the investigation even if the ICI has no contempt powers. — JMA, GMA Integrated News