Press Release
October 31, 2008

ROXAS: OMBUDSMAN INACTION ON BIG CASES ERODING
DEMOCRATIC STABILITY

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas today blamed inaction and delay on the part of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez as a root cause of slipping public confidence in the government which is severely eroding the stability of the democratic system.

Roxas said the Ombudsman's inability to combat corruption may lead to more calls from various sectors, like the call made by five Catholic bishops a few days ago, for leadership change-- and have catastrophic political consequences.

"Ombudsman Gutierrez has lost the mantle of judicious impartiality and is perceived as a willing tool of Malacañang to prevent its allies from being brought to justice," Roxas said.

He said Gutierrez failed in her constitutional duty to "protect the people" as she repeatedly ignored calls for quick action on sensational cases involving graft and corruption in the Arroyo administration.

"Imbes na maging kakampi ng taumbayan sa paglilinis ng pamahalaan, naging instrumento pa ng mga nangungurakot sa gobyerno ang ating Ombudsman sa mata ng taumbayan (Instead of being the people's ally in cleaning the government, the Ombudsman has become a tool of the corrupt in this administration as far as the public can see)," said Roxas.

He cited the case of former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn "Joc-Joc" Bolante, who has been sued for plunder before the Ombudsman by lawyer Frank Chavez as early as four years ago and recommended to be charged along with his fellow officials of the Department of Agriculture almost three years ago by a Senate committee for his role in the P728-million fertilizer fund scam.

Roxas also noted that the Ombudsman has made no move to investigate the so-called "euro general" case involving retired PNP comptroller Eliseo De La Paz, who was arrested in Moscow when Russian police discovered 105,000 euros in undeclared cash in the handbag of his wife.

The Ilonggo senator said the public has yet to hear from the Ombudsman what it has done regarding the botched P1.3-billion Mega Pacific poll computerization project. Gutierrez has also been criticized for allegedly filing a "weak" case of corruption against former Justice Secretary Hernando Perez, in relation to the IMPSA extortion case. Neither has any case been filed against anyone involved in the P16-billion NBN-ZTE broadband scandal, Roxas added.

"Sira na ang Ombudsman sa mata ng taumbayan, at ito'y dahil inupuan ni Ombudsman Gutierrez ang lahat ng mga kaso na sabit ang mga kaibigan at naging kasama niya sa administrasyong ito (Ombudsman Gutierrez has lost credibility because she has let known allies of this administration off the hook)," Roxas said.

He also cited a recent report of the Washington D.C.-based Center for Global Development released on September 28, 2008 that the Philippines failed this year the so-called "control of corruption" indicator set by the US government aid corporation Millennium Challenge Corp. for the first time in three years, preceded by a consistent drop in its corruption ratings since the US gave the Philippines in July 2006 a $21-million grant to help fight corruption.

"Mayroon na ngang mahigit na isang bilyong piso na dapat ay nagamit ng Ombudsman para linisin ang ating gobyerno, pero wala pa ring nangyari dahil naging mas malala pa ang korapsyon sa Pilipinas (There was over P1 billion that the Ombudsman could have used to clean up the government, but nothing happened as corruption even worsened)," Roxas noted.

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