MANILA, Philippines - 2011 was a year of change in the Office of the Ombudsman. Merceditas Gutierrez, who survived several impeachment complaints in 2009 and 2010, resigned in May, as she was about to face an impeachment trial in the Senate.
Three months later, President Aquino announced the appointment of retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales as her replacement.
However, Morales, who promised to take care of the employees, was criticized for her demeanor.
Her first office circular ordered Ombudsman employees not to be late for work for even a minute.
While some hailed the directive for instilling discipline, there were those who criticized it for being dictatorial considering that lawyers, prosecutors, and investigators do field work.
Morales did not also start off well with the media. In her first and only press conference two months after she assumed office on Aug 1, she snarled at reporters when asked about the controversial plea bargaining agreement between Gutierrez and former military comptroller Carlos Garcia.
But she said the public should not be intimidated by her behavior. “This is my persona. I talk this way. I am an Ilocana and therefore you expect me to act this way,” she said when one reporter asked if she talks the same way to officials and employees of the Office of the Ombudsman.
But while members of the media may not be comfortable talking to her, many of those working with the anti-graft agency lauded her character.
“She is actually charmingly rude,” an insider told The STAR, saying Morales is just trying to live up to the public’s expectations that she will be a like a pit bull in running after corrupt government officials. Morales also asserted her independence, saying not even President Aquino can influence her decisions.
“The President never ever instructed me to do this or do that. He told me to maintain my independence. That is reflective of his belief that I am independent,” she said.
“I am impervious to influence, I am impervious to pressure. And I don’t expect anyone to pressure me,” she said.
Morales initiated reforms
Saying she needs to clean her own house before she goes out to clean others, Morales initiated reforms immediately after she assumed office.
Many officials and employees were reshuffled, with those perceived to be close to Gutierrez and former Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon Mark Jalandoni losing their posts.
Morales also ordered the hiring of about a hundred new lawyers.
She launched an intensified graft and corruption prevention campaign among the youth by strengthening the Junior Graftwatch Unit program, which teaches the values of honesty, responsibility, and good governance to elementary and high school students.
In a recent talk before officials of the executive, judiciary, and legislature during the celebration of International Anti-Corruption Day, she said corruption “is a form of violence” which needs to be fought.
“It kills. It kills our millennium development goals, it kills education, it kills health, justice, democracy, prosperity and development,” she said.
But still no case against GMA
However, after five months in office, Morales has yet to file criminal cases against former President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo.
Her office has also not given any updates on the plunder and other graft and corruption cases filed against the former chief executive.
Arroyo, now a congresswoman of Pampanga, is facing a string of criminal charges at the Office of the Ombudsman for her alleged involvement in the national broadband network deal anomaly, fertilizer fund scam, and the alleged misuse of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office funds.
Morales has apparently been slow in resolving the cases she inherited from Gutierrez despite her promise to address the issue of case backlogs. Morales did not even issue a first 100 days report, the release of which media expected last month.
For this year, she only ordered the filing of cases with the Sandiganbayan against Bureau of Fire Protection director Rolando Bandilla Jr. and Chief Inspector Jhufel Brañanola for defrauding a fire victim of her claims against an insurance company in 2008 and a former mayor and now congressman of Lau-Lapu City, Cebu for his alleged involvement in the purchase of P23.5-million worth of overpriced personal computers in 2005.
The Ombudsman is also silent on other pending cases against the former administration except for the helicopter deal and rubber boat purchase anomalies, which are undergoing preliminary investigation.