PAO 7 director faces raps for "disgraceful and immoral conduct"

CEBU, Philippines – The complaint against Public Attorney's Office (PAO) 7 Director Ma. G-Ree Calinawan was recommended for upgrading into an ombudsman administrative case after investigators found evidence to conclude that she has a relationship with a married man.

There were also several allegations of graft and corruption against Calinawan, but the anti-graft office recommended that these be assigned another docket number so a separate fact-finding investigation could be done on them.

In a final evaluation report signed by Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Gutierrez, Graft Investigation Officer II Alejandro P. Borden recommended for the upgrading of the complaint into a case for disgraceful and immoral conduct.

The case stemmed from a 2008 petition from PAO lawyers and employees addressed to then president Gloria Arroyo, then justice secretary Raul Gonzalez and Persida RuedaAcosta, the chief of the Public Attorney's Office in Manila

They asked for Calinawan's removal from office.

The Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas decided to conduct a motu propio investigation. Also, the employees sent another letter to Acosta stating that they no longer felt assured of an impartial investigation by the PAO Central Office on what they called were Calinawan's "glaring irregularities."

The final report only upgraded the case for gross immorality, which stemmed from allegations that she has a child by a married policeman with whom she is still involved with.

Calinawan had told the graft investigator that this allegation against her is "baseless."

But the investigator found she has a child born in 2004 as declared in her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth for the year 2005, although she declared in her personal data sheet that she is single.

The investigator dug the records of the child, born in Quezon City, and acknowledged by the father. The investigator said Camp Crame records showed that the father is a policeman who is married to another woman.

The employees also alleged that Calinawan underwent an "incomplete abortion." They stated this to prove their claim of the continuing affair that Calinawan was having.

On this, the graft investigator also found documents including a medical certificate issued on March 2008 stating that Calinawan underwent an incomplete abortion. The physician certified that Calinawan was confined at her house.   Calinawan used the medical certificate to comply with the requirements for maternity leave with full pay.

In a joint conference with the graft investigators, Assistant Ombudsman for the Visayas Virginia Palanca-Santiago, PAO lawyers and employees and a representative of Acosta, Calinawan reportedly admitted that she filed a maternity leave due to her miscarriage. (FREEMAN)