Corrupt government officials, employees dismissed, charged
By Cheneen R. Capon
THE GOVERNMENT, through the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao (DOM) headed by Justice Rodolfo M. Elman, continued its crackdown on corrupt employees and officials in the island.
As of December 31, 2014, a total of 44 government personnel have been dismissed from the service, 51 suspended, 11 fined, 16 reprimanded and two admonished.
Administrative cases
According to the office of Deputy Ombudsman Elman, who had earlier reported on the performance of his office in a speech before the Rotary Club of East Davao, among the positions involved in administrative cases with penalty were 11 mayors, 23 LGU (municipal, city and provincial) department heads, 50 barangay officials, nine regional/provincial adjudicators/ hearing officers, eight personnel handling money (cashiers, disbursing officers, tellers, or revenue collectors), six regional directors and directors, six investigators/ inspectors/ intelligence officers, four state university and college presidents or vice presidents, among others.
Most common administrative offenses complained of were grave or simple misconduct (64 cases), dishonesty (35), conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service (27), violation of RA 6713 (22) and abuse of authority (6), among many others.
Criminal cases
During the 12-month period in review, the Deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao had resolved a total of 628 criminal cases. Of these, 120 cases are for filing with the regular courts, while 19 cases are for filing with the Sandiganbayan, 484 were dismissed, four cases referred to other agencies and only one for further fact-finding.
Resolution of criminal cases in 2014 was observed to be faster than the year before—628 in 2014 compared to 536 in 2013.
Solons, mayors included
Positions involved in criminal cases for filing in court are two congressmen, one governor, one judge, 22 mayors, eight vice mayors, 37 department heads of provincial, city and municipal LGUs (local government units), 27 Sangguniang Bayan members, including heads of Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) federations, 26 barangay captains, 27 barangay treasurers, 13 sangguniang barangay members, two personnel handling money (cashiers, tellers and revenue collectors), 20 sangguniang barangay members, 17 charged in their capacity of BAC (bids and awards committee) members, seven teachers, and two school principals among others.
According to statistics of the Deputy Ombudsman’s Case Records Management Unit under its chief, lawyer Hilde C. dela Cruz-Likit, the most common offenses charged in the criminal complaints were violations of RA 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act with 172 cases, followed by malversation of funds (54 cases), falsification of public documents (42) and violation of the RA 6713 or The Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees (22).
Deputy Ombudsman Elman credited Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales, Ombudsman, and the reforms she had introduced for the faster disposition of cases lodged in the anti-graft agency.
Aside from being strict on the observance of deadlines, Justice Morales had appointed several lawyers to fill in vacancies in the independent constitutional body, according to lawyer Aileen Lizada, spokesperson of the Mindanao Ombudsman Office.
“Originally, we were only 12 lawyers but,” Ms. Lizada said. “ We’re now 18 lawyers after the appointment of new ones by Justice Morales.”
Lizada said the Ombudsman will continue hiring more lawyers to expedite resolution of cases lodged before the agency.
Earlier, Deputy Ombudsman Elman sent two officials –lawyers Ma. Corazon A. Arancon, director for evaluation and investigation bureau, and Likit — to explain to businessmen, during a jampacked general membership assembly of the Davao City Chamber of Commerce, the functions of the Investments Ombudsman created by Ombudsman Morales to make timely action on complaints of investors against abusive and corrupt government officials and employees nationwide. (CRC/ama)
