Amid the billions of pesos in public funds lost to corruption in the anomalous flood control projects, Akbayan party-list Rep. Chel Diokno has given Filipinos the opportunity to take an active role in recovering stolen money from erring public officials.
In filing House Bill 6619, Diokno, a lawyer, sought to amend the 65-year-old Republic Act 1379, or the Forfeiture Law, attuned to present times, allowing private citizens to directly initiate cases to recover ill-gotten wealth and ensure that stolen public funds are swiftly returned to the people.
Diokno filed the measure together with fellow Akbayan party-list representatives Perci Cendaña and Dadah Ismula, as well as Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao.
“Sa harap ng bilyun-bilyong piso na ninakaw sa kaban ng bayan at nawala sa maanomalyang flood control projects, isa sa mga nais natin ay mabilis na mabawi ang naibulsa ng mga tiwaling opisyal ng bayan,” Diokno said.
(In the face of the billions of pesos that were stolen from the public treasury and lost in anomalous flood control projects, one of our wishes is to quickly recover what was pocketed by corrupt public officials.)
“Sa pamamagitan ng panukalang batas natin, mabibigyan ng pagkakataon ang taumbayan na mabawi ang perang ninakaw sa kanila,” he added.
(Through our bill, the people will be given the opportunity to recover the money stolen from them.)
If passed, the measure will allow private individuals, civil society organizations, or corporations, among others, to fully initiate and participate in civil forfeiture proceedings at the Regional Trial Court.
“We call on our colleagues to support this long-overdue reform so we can strengthen accountability, empower citizens, and ensure that every peso stolen from the people is returned to the people,” he said.
Once passed, bulk of the amount recovered will be allocated for education, health, socialized housing, and social security while the private individual, civil society organization, or corporation will be given a 10-percent reward of the total amount recovered.
It also centralizes the function of prosecuting forfeiture cases in the Office of the Ombudsman and empowers the Department of Justice or the Ombudsman to grant immunity from prosecution to any potential whistleblower in the forfeiture case.
The measure also extends the application of the prima facie presumption to all ownership showing beneficial interest, including corporations and other arrangements.
“The unique remedy of civil forfeiture has the potential to expedite accountability from errant and corrupt public officers. In refining this legislation, we aim to strengthen the mandated trust between our public officials and the Filipino people,” he said.
