Garcia: Ombuds favors Saavedra

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia has questioned the Ombudsman’s perceived penchant on self-styled anti-graft crusader Crisologo Saavedra.

Garcia said the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas is giving preferential treatment to Saavedra’s unverified complaints rather than the formal and verified ones.

“How he (Saavedra) has made a mockery out of the Office of the Ombudsman by making it as a matter of procedure which is out to deviate from a well thought out and respectable system,” Garcia said.

Garcia said the anti-graft office continues to entertain Saavedra’s letter-requests and is even acting more expeditiously on it rather than focusing on the formal complaints that have been lodged before them.

Garcia lamented that while the Ombudsman had already came out with the final evaluation report on the province’s purchase of the Balili property in Naga, until now it has not resolved the verified complaints that the Capitol has filed against Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez and the Cebu City officials for allegedly entering into a grossly disadvantageous contract with the Filinvest for a joint-venture agreement at the South Road Properties.

“These people in the Ombudsman reading the papers, kay na sensationalized naman sa media, they get pressured nga maoy ilang tutukan,” she said.

Capitol spokesman Rory Jon Sepulveda filed criminal complaints against Sanchez, Jr. before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas for allegedly assigning four casual employees of the Capitol to work in his private farm in Tuburan.

The complaint against Sanchez was based on the findings of the investigating committee headed by provincial legal officer Marino Martinquilla. The committee found out that there were four casual employees under Sanchez who have been working outside the Capitol.

The four casual employees were identified as Manuel Montebon Sr., Edilberto Esdrelon, Chrissie Jane Iman and Elmer Bontila. These employees are allegedly reporting only to the Capitol every Monday because most of the time they are working in Sanchez’ farm.

“Hagbay ra man ni file si Sepulveda under oath sa Ombudsman... hain naman ang aksiyon ani?,” Garcia asked.

Garcia also filed criminal and administrative complaints against former Cebu City mayor, now South District Rep. Tomas Osmeña and the members of the city council for allegedly entering into a disadvantageous contract with the Filinvest Land Incorporated for the development and sale of several parcels of land in the SRP.

Garcia described the joint venture agreement as “illegal and in violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.”

Aside from Osmeña, Mayor Michael Rama and all the city councilors including Filinvest officials were also named respondents.

Saavedra recently asked the anti-graft body to investigate Garcia for alleged plunder. (FREEMAN)