The Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued subpoenas against the respondents in the complaints involving five ghost flood control projects in Bulacan for the conduct of the preliminary investigation, Prosecutor General Richard Fadullon said Monday.
According to Fadullon, the subpoenas were issued last week.
Meanwhile, he said the first hearing will be held on November 10.
This was echoed by DOJ officer-in-charge Fredderick Vida.
“Some of the subpoenas have been personally served, no, ‘yung initial na five cases no, where the DOJ has been deputized by the Office of the Ombudsman,” Vida said on the sidelines of the department’s three-day Justice summit.
“That process will start so identified na ‘yung mga respondents doon, identified na rin ‘yung charges, no? Soon, there will be more,” he added.
(The process will start. The respondents have been identified as well as the charges.)
The DOJ initially referred its recommendation to file graft, malversation, perjury and falsification of public documents charges against officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways’ Bulacan First District Engineering Office and several contractors to the Office of the Ombudsman.
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla later returned the information against the respondents and deputized the DOJ for the prosecution of the charges, including the conduct of the preliminary investigation and the filing of the cases.
Justice spokesperson Polo Martinez previously said the DOJ is eyeing to complete its preliminary investigation within a month. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
