(Eagle News) — The Sandiganbayan has junked a case filed against former Palawan Governor Joel Reyes in connection with the fertilizer fund scam.
In a 14-page decision, Associate Justice Rafael Lagos, chair of the fifth division, said the more than 10 years it took for the graft case to be filed against the former governor was a ground for it to be dismissed.
A complaint was lodged against Reyes in the Ombudsman in 2004.
The Ombudsman had accused the former governor of approving the release of a P3.250-million disbursement voucher payment for 3,240 bottles of fertilizer, and accused him of “(making) it appear that (non-government organization Masaganang Ani Para sa Magsasaka Foundation) was qualified…” as project implementer.
It was only, however, in 2016 when the case was filed before the Sandiganbayan.
In junking the case, Lagos gave weight to Reyes’ argument that he was “similarly situated” as Rodolfo Guieb and Dennis Araullo, whose information filed against them was recently dismissed on the “ground of the violation of the right to (a) speedy disposition of cases.”
According to Lagos, Reyes also has a right to a speedy disposition of the case.
Reyes and his brother, former Palawan Mayor Mario Reyes, were arrested in Thailand in September last year.
The two have been tagged as masterminds in the murder of Gerry Ortega, an environmentalist.
In 2016, the Supreme Court ordered the trial in connection with that case to proceed.