AKBAYAN Partylist Representative Perci Cendaña on Thursday denounced the Sandiganbayan’s acquittal of former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, lawyer Gigi Reyes, and businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles on 15 counts of graft related to the multibillion-peso Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam, calling the decision “a travesty that must not be repeated.”
“The acquittal of those involved in the PDAF scam is a travesty that must not be repeated,” Cendaña said in a statement. “We challenge the Marcos administration to swiftly convict those behind the flood control corruption, recover stolen funds, and pass the Open Bicam and Open Infra Bill.”
The Akbayan lawmaker said the ruling underscores the urgent need to strengthen transparency and accountability in government spending, especially in public infrastructure projects long marred by corruption.
Cendaña warned that public outrage over corruption cases remains high and that Filipinos expect the government to act decisively.
“The people are watching,” he said.
The Sandiganbayan’s ruling, which cleared Enrile, Reyes, and Napoles of graft charges linked to the alleged misuse of lawmakers’ pork barrel funds, has sparked widespread criticism from good governance advocates and civil society groups demanding justice and reform.
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