The first criminal case filed before the Sandiganbayan over the alleged anomalous flood control projects could be decided before the end of the year, the anti-graft court’s Presiding Justice Geraldine Econg told senators on Thursday.
Econg made the statement during the Senate hearing on the proposed 2027 budget of the judiciary, noting that the case filed by the Office of the Ombudsman on November 18, 2025, has already reached the defense’s presentation of evidence.
“If we follow the speedy trial act that was enacted by the Supreme Court, we will see the conviction or acquittal within the year,” Econg said.
She described the proceedings as “pretty fast,” despite the Sandiganbayan continuing to receive and process more cases linked to the controversial flood control projects.
As of Thursday, the Ombudsman had filed 26 cases before the Sandiganbayan in connection with the flood control controversy, with several involving senators and members of the House of Representatives, according to Econg.
She said the earliest case had already entered the defense stage, while another had been archived after authorities failed to locate one of the accused.
Other cases involving multiple defendants have likewise advanced to the presentation of defense evidence, Econg added.
Among the prominent political figures arrested in separate plunder cases linked to the alleged flood control irregularities were former House Speaker and Leyte 1st District Representative Martin Romualdez and Senator Jinggoy Estrada.