Ex-Virac Mayor's Plea for Reinvestigation Denied

The Sandiganbayan has denied the request of former Virac Mayor and Kabuhayan at Kalusugang Alay sa Masa Foundation, Inc. (KASAMA Foundation) President Flerida A. Alberto for a reinvestigation into her graft case. The anti-graft court ruled that Ms. Alberto's motion was filed beyond the period allowed by the Office of the Ombudsman. She submitted the request more than five days after receiving notice of the Ombudsman's resolutions, making it time-barred under the 1990 Ombudsman rules. This case is among the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) prosecutions linked to businesswoman Janet L. Napoles. The PDAF system, which allowed lawmakers to allocate funds for specific development projects, has been a persistent source of corruption allegations in Philippine politics. The Sandiganbayan has set Ms. Alberto's arraignment for August 11. This decision underscores the ongoing judicial efforts to address corruption cases stemming from the PDAF scandals. Numerous cases related to the PDAF remain pending before Philippine courts, highlighting the long-standing issues of political-financial collusion and the proper management of public funds. The current ruling can be seen as a judicial outcome in line with past precedents involving similar allegations against politicians and their associates.