Sandiganbayan upholds decision to proceed with corruption cases vs Razon | ABS-CBN

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Sandiganbayan upholds decision to proceed with corruption cases vs Razon

Sandiganbayan upholds decision to proceed with corruption cases vs Razon

Adrian Ayalin,

ABS-CBN News

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Former Philippine National Police chief Avelino Razon failed to convince the Sandiganbayan 4th Division to junk his corruption cases on the ground of conflicting allegations of conspiracy and negligence.

In a resolution promulgated on August 10, 2023, the court said objections as to the sufficiency of informations should be filed before the arraignment.

"An accused’s failure to raise any objections on the sufficiency of information is understood as a waiver thereof,” the court said in the resolution penned by Associate Justice Bayani Jacinto, with the concurrence of Division Chairperson Michael Frederick Musngi and Associate Justice Lorifel Lacap Pahimna.

“Should the defects be non-jurisdictional, they are effectively cured by presenting competent evidence thereof during trial,” the court added.

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The multiple graft, malversation and violation of procurement law cases against several respondents started from the complaint filed by the Fact Finding Investigation Bureau of the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for the Military and Law Enforcement Office against 25 officers of the PNP, two officials from the Commission on Audit and 13 private individuals.

The respondents were allegedly involved in anomalous transactions relating to the repair and maintenance of 28 units of V-150 Light Armored Vehicles, causing undue injury to the government.

On June 21, 2023, the court denied the demurrers to evidence filed by Razon on his two graft and two malversation cases involving P409 million vehicle repairs and maintenance projects in 2007.

In his motion for reconsideration, Razon argued that the conspiracy and negligence charges were conceptually inconsistent.

The prosecution however countered that a finding of gross inexcusable negligence does not negate conspiracy.

The court emphasized in its resolution that the cases against Razon should proceed as he was the Head of Procuring Entity or HoPE.

“There is a continuum attendant in any acquisition of goods and services with each phase ultimately progressing, especially as to bidder selection and disbursement, only with the concurrence of the HoPE,” the court said.

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China, Philippines quarrel over South China Sea row in Munich conference

China, Philippines quarrel over South China Sea row in Munich conference

David Dizon,

ABS-CBN News

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Representatives from the Philippines and China quarreled Sunday over the South China Sea during a roundtable discussion at the 61st Munich Security Conference.

Speaking at the “Making Waves: Maritime Tensions in the Indo-Pacific” roundtable, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo asserted the Philippines remains steadfast in defending the rules-based international order and the rule of law, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

"The basic issue here is that we are following international law. Whenever the Philippines undertakes any kind of activity within our exclusive economic zone, as defined by UNCLOS, we feel we are within our rights. But when another country, let's say, applies its own domestic laws to certain areas within our [exclusive economic zone], then it really does create the kind of tension that we have been experiencing, especially over the last two years,” Manalo said during the roundtable.


He said countries who have signed agreements such as UNCLOS should abide by these agreements. “If this is not the case, then the rich, the powerful, who will actually be in a position to assert their own laws against the weaker countries, I believe then we're in for a period of even greater tension,” he noted.

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However, former Chinese vice-foreign minister Fu Ying said China cannot agree for the Philippines to occupy Second Thomas (Ayungin) Shoal and Sabina (Escoda) Shoal “because that is a violation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.”

“Everybody signed to it. I remember that language, not to make more moves, that language was watered down with the Filipino request in order for the Philippines to also sign up,” she said.

“So we all agreed, if the Philippines can take new rocks, how can you stop others? How can you stop China from taking more? We are capable, there is no problem. But we are exercising constraints because we are committed to this DOC. So that's a red line no one should be allowed to cross.”

For his part, Singapore Minister for Defense Ng Eng Hen noted that Chinese Coast Guard patrols have gone up to “about 2,000 ships a day, about a 20 per cent increase from last year to the previous.”

This is apart from the 200 Chinese militia vessels around disputed features, which is a 35 per cent increase from 2022, he said.

He noted that in 2014, Chinese President Xi Jinping said matters in Asia “ultimately must be resolved by Asians, and Asia's security ultimately must be protected by Asians”, which is a Monroe Doctrine.

Chinese vessels have engaged in a series of high-profile confrontations with Philippine ships in disputed waters of the South China Sea claimed by Beijing despite an international ruling that their assertion has no legal basis.

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