Martires: Junked raps vs Villanueva underwent review

Former ombudsman Samuel Martires has maintained that his 2019 decision dismissing the administrative and criminal complaints against Sen. Joel Villanueva in connection with the pork barrel scam had undergone levels of review before his approval, and that the investigating prosecutors did not manifest any objection after being furnished with a copy of the decision.

- By ELIZABETH MARCELO

“You will notice that all the parties to the case were furnished, thru their counsels, a copy of the Order. The Field Investigation Office (FIO), who was the complainant, was likewise furnished a copy of the Order or decision,” Martires told The STAR before the weekend.

“The records of the ombudsman will show that the FIO did not file an MR (motion for reconsideration) seeking for a reconsideration of the September 2019 Order on the Administrative case. None of the parties, too, questioned the Order on the criminal case before the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court,” he added.

Martires made the statement as former SC associate justice Antonio Carpio, in an interview with ANC, said the former ombudsman’s decision may still be revisited if it can be shown that the investigating prosecutors who handled the complaints were not given opportunity to seek reconsideration on the cases’ dismissal.

“If indeed the prosecutor did not receive a copy of the reversal, then he can still ask for the copy of the reversal now and submit his MR. Because that is the right of the prosecution, to submit an MR,” Carpio said.