Apostol prefers Narvios-Tanco as next deputy ombudsman

CEBU, Philippines - If it is up to him, newly retired Pelagio Apostol yesterday said he would have Carla Juris Narvios-Tanco take his place as deputy ombudsman for the Visayas.

Narvios-Tanco is currently the acting director of the Ombudsman-Visayas’ Public Assistance and Corruption Office.

“(I’m) hoping nga si Director Tanco, dahil kilala ko na siya (I know her). Except for (Paul Elmer) Clemente, I don’t know the other aspirants,” said Apostol.

Although Apostol, 62, served his last day as deputy ombudsman yesterday, President Benigno Aquino III has yet to appoint his replacement from the five nominees, including Narvios-Tanco, chosen by the Judicial and Bar Council.

Among those in the short list were former Cebu City Regional Trial Court presiding judge and current Supreme Court deputy clerk of court and judicial reform program administrator Geraldine Faith A. Econg, Register of Deeds Acting Director Paul Elmer Clemente, Commission on Audit Chief Executive Staff Gilbert Kintanar, and Presidential Commission on Good Government Commissioner Vicente Gengos Jr.

Apostol said the president has 90 days from his retirement to appoint a replacement. In the meantime the Office of the Ombudsman in Manila would appoint an officer-in-charge, which could be Apostol’s next-in-command.

He was already prepared to leave when The FREEMAN visited him in his office yesterday. Boxes full of things he amassed within the seven years he served as deputy ombudsman for the Visayas were all ready for transport.  He was appointed deputy ombudsman for the Visayas July 19, 2007. 

Apostol said he has also turned over his service firearms and gave up his security aides.  He wished the person who would succeed him to “continue the gains we have already acquired.”

Within seven years, Apostol said he was able to put “everything in place,” organized regional offices in regions 6 and 8, and almost doubled the manpower of the  Cebu office. He said he also created divisions and the posts of acting directors and OICs during his seven-year stint.

As to the negative reports against him, he said, “bahala sila. I’ve done everything. Nobody could accuse me of corruption. Nobody paid me or approached to pay me not even a single centavo just (for me) to alter my recommendation.”

There may be ups and downs in his job as a deputy ombudsman, he said, but  he still has the people in the Visayas, like the Cebuanos, Warays, Ilocano and others to thank for  being “very accommodating,” which made his job less stressful.

“Pasalamat for all the support, like the media. Media play a very important role in our fight against corruption, in our exposes. The people supported me. Other government agencies also believed in our sincerity. Sa mga empleyado, nagpapasalamat din ako he said.

Apostol, who has a house in one of the subdivisions in Talisay City, said he would spend the remainder of his life as a farmer in his home province in Antique. — (FREEMAN)