ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) 8:00 pm (tonight) Ricky Carandang and the Special Prosecutor: Find out!


Photo from abs-cbnnews.com, cropped and stylized for composition, used here for non-commercial purposes



If there’s a bigger picture, he will see it and show us: Ricky Carandang explores further and sits: the Special Prosecutor Judge Dennis Villaignacio in the first full-length interview on reported moves from the Office of the Ombudsman to remove SP Judge Dennis from his post “in preparation for post 2010 plans”, defying, as it seems, a memo from the Ombudsman not to give interviews to the press about their work without clearance from the Office of the Ombudsman.  Find out  tonight Thursday 8:00 pm in the  show “The Big Picture” at the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC). That’s 8:00 pm (tonight), watch it live, uncut, uncensored.

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26 August 2008. Media advisory released by lawyers Arno Sanidad, Christian “Bot” Lim, Anthony Peralta:

TAÑADA HEADS LEGAL DEFENSE TEAM FOR

SPECIAL PROSECUTOR VILLA-IGNACIO

Quote “Former senator and congressman Wigberto “Bobby” Tañada entered his appearance on August 26, 2008 as lead counsel for Special Prosecutor Dennis M. Villa-Ignacio in the case of estafa filed against the latter and pending with the Internal Affairs Board (IAB) of the Office of the Ombudsman. Joining Tañada in the defense team are Attys. Pablito Sanidad, Arno Sanidad, Anthony Peralta and Christian Lim, all of whom were private prosecutors in the Estrada Plunder trial. It seems a reunion of sorts for these defense lawyers considering that former Congressman Tanada himself was among the congressmen-prosecutors in the Estrada impeachment proceedings.

Quote “The complainant, Elvira Chua, earlier filed the case against Villa-Ignacio allegedly because the P26,000.00 Chua donated allegedly for typhoon victims in Quezon in 2005, was instead donated to Gawad Kalinga Foundation.

Quote “Villa-Ignacio also filed on August 26, 2008 his Counter-Affidavit with the IAB. Villa-Ignacio questioned the legality of the proceedings before the IAB and claimed that the composition of the IAB for his case was illegal since the Chairman, Deputy Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro, was allegedly disqualified under the Rules of the Ombudsman since Chua, as complainant, belonged to the same unit as Casimiro. Moreover, Villa-Ignacio cited continuing violations of his right to due process since orders of the IAB were never furnished his counsel even as Attys. Sanidad, Peralta and Lim already previously entered their appearance. “The manner that the orders were served and their missing documents indicate that there is an overall scheme to keep me in the dark and ease me out”, said Villa-Ignacio. Earlier, Villa-Ignacio had cried foul on obvious attempts to marginalize his office and its independence, and ultimately oust him as Special Prosecutor.

Quote “Warding off the charges of estafa, Villa-Ignacio claims that the entire process of donating the funds to Gawad Kalinga was marked by transparency and consensus by employees of the Office of the Special Prosecutor, after the intended direct donation to Quezon residents became not feasible. Villa-Ignacio claims that Chua was used as a “willing tool” by those who wanted him out and that these allegations, despite their obvious lack of merit, have been brandished by some as leverage.” Closed-quote.

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