Roxas seeks protection for whistleblowers

Sen. Manuel Roxas II has sought protection for persons giving the Office of the Ombudsman information on corrupt government officials.

In Senate Bill 1761, the neophyte senator is proposing that the Ombudsman establish its own Legal Protection Service, which would be patterned after the Witness Protection, Security and Benefit Program of the Department of Justice (DOJ).

"Our efforts to avert a financial crisis, boost tax collection, achieve a balanced budget and lure investors via new incentives — all efforts to move the country and our economy forward — will have marginal beneficial impact if we do not address promptly the core rot in the system, which is corruption," he said.

He said the government must create an environment that inspires citizens to tell on corrupt officials by protecting these whistle-blowers and rewarding them handsomely.

In a separate bill, Roxas is proposing that informers be given rewards of up to P10 million or 10 percent of whatever ill-gotten assets can be recovered from corrupt officials.

In seeking the creation of a protection service under the Office of the Ombudsman, Roxas said the DOJ cannot be relied upon to protect informers in graft and corruption cases.

"We do not want to put the DOJ program under too much strain. So we are seeking a special service separate and distinct from the DOJ protection program to be administered by the Ombudsman itself and to deal solely with graft informers," he said.

"Having its own protection service will reinvigorate the Ombudsman as an institution, enhance its independence and put the office in a position to secure its own witnesses without having to depend on another agency," he added.

The proposed protection service would provide witnesses security, free housing, livelihood assistance, subsistence and travel allowances, hospitalization and medical treatment, and schooling for their children. – Jess Diaz