MANILA — Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan is pushing for the immediate passage of Senate Bill 1547, which seeks to establish a Justice Reform Commission tasked with investigating systemic failures in the Philippine justice system that allow corruption to persist.

“We must punish more and swiftly. Twenty-one years doesn’t in any way classify as swift,” Pangilinan said, referring to the prolonged delay in resolving major corruption cases such as the Fertilizer Fund Scam.

“21 years sa Sandiganbayan. Another 20 years sa SC? Such ridiculous delays embolden the corrupt and erode our people’s faith in the rule of law,” he added.

Judiciary submissions for the 2026 budget show a backlog of over 612,000 cases in lower courts, 27,000 in the Court of Appeals, 16,000 in the Supreme Court, 2,000 in the Court of Tax Appeals, and nearly 1,000 in the Sandiganbayan.

“In 2004, Facebook, Skype, and Nintendo’s touch-interface were just starting out,” Pangilinan said, highlighting the contrast between technological progress and the sluggish pace of justice. “Corruption is rampant because the justice system in the Philippines is slower than rush-hour traffic on EDSA.”

The proposed Justice Reform Commission would review delays across law enforcement, prosecution, the judiciary, and corrections, and recommend reforms to ensure perpetrators of crimes against the public are held accountable swiftly and fairly.

On Wednesday, the Sandiganbayan’s Special Sixth Division found former Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Technical Director Joel Rudinas and former DA accountant Claudia Artazo guilty beyond reasonable doubt of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for the irregular procurement of more than 6,000 bottles of liquid fertilizer for Camiguin in 2004.

The Fertilizer Fund Scam allegedly involved the diversion of ₱728 million intended for fertilizer purchases to finance the election campaign that year through vote-buying schemes. Then Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante was identified as a key figure in orchestrating the diversion, which involved suspicious transactions and irregular procurement from dubious NGOs.

While several mid-level officials and private individuals, including DA regional executives and businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, have been convicted and jailed, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was cleared of direct involvement by the Ombudsman. The case against Bolante was dismissed by the Sandiganbayan in 2016 for insufficient evidence.

Pangilinan said the decades-long delays underscore the need for judicial reform. “The proper, prompt, and fair implementation of the law is the foundation of order in our society,” he added.