Palace: Sandigan post no reward

Malacañang parried insinuations that the appointment of a Caloocan City judge as an associate justice of the Sandiganbayan was a reward after the judge moved for the dismissal of charges against two policemen tagged in the killing of teenagers last year.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said President Duterte did not play favorites when he appointed Gerogina Dumpit Hidalgo, replacing Rodolfo Ponferanda at the anti-graft court.

“There is none,” Roque said when asked if the President had a special preference for Hidalgo in the wake of his statements that families of slain drug suspects cannot expect justice to be served just because they lost their loved ones in the administration’s drug war.

Roque stressed that the President was limited to the list provided by the Judicial Bar Council (JBC).

Roque said the council handles the interviews and review of the qualifications of candidates for the top posts at the Sandiganbayan and Supreme Court.

“It was the JBC that considered her worthy of appointment, and the President just chose from the JBC shortlist,” he added.

Hidalgo was handling the murder case against Police Officers 1 Ricky Arquilita and Jeffrey Perez, which was dismissed and ordered re-filed before the Navotas court.

They were accused of killing Carl Angelo Arnaiz and Reynaldo de Guzman, whose deaths sparked public outrage.