THREE regions in Mindanao and one in Visayas have something good to show over the two-year old COVID-19 pandemic — all of them managed to keep a clean slate, with no high-ranking local government official charged with any crime before the Sandiganbayan.
This was shown in the Statistics on Cases Filed, Pending, or Disposed Of during a 22-month period ending October 31, 2021.
The report released by the Sandiganbayan Records Section showed Regions 8 (Eastern Visayas), 11 (Davao Region), 12 (Soccsksargen), and 13 (Caraga) posted zero cases filed in the whole of 2020 and the first 10 months of 2021.
Figures for the last two months of last year have not been released.
Data showed Regions 3 (Central Luzon) also finished 2020 with a clean record but posted one malversation case filed in January last year.
For 2021, there were five other regions with clean records aside from Eastern Visayas, Davao, Soccsksargen, and Caraga. They are Regions 2 (Cagayan Valley), 5 (Bicol Region), 7 (Central Visayas), 10 (Northern Mindanao), and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Based on RA 10660 which expanded the Sandiganbayan from five to seven divisions, only high ranking government officials will be charged before the special anti-graft court, including mayors, councilors, and municipal or city department heads, governors in local government; presidents, directors, and managers of government-owned or controlled corporations (GOCCs); police and military officers holding the rank of colonel of higher; and officials of the executive branch from regional director positions of higher.
The number of cases filed by the Office of the Ombudsman have been on a four-year decline from 739 cases in 2018; 198 in 2019; 117 in 2020; and only 66 as of October 31, 2021.
The Statistics on Cases Filed, Pending, or Disposed Of is released monthly by the Sandiganbayan. Copies are posted on the court’s official website https://sb.judiciary.gov.ph.
