Morales ready to tell all

MANILA, Philippines - Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales said yesterday she is willing to testify and tell all that she knows about Chief Justice Renato Corona’s alleged $10-million deposits before the Senate impeachment court.

“If I get a subpoena, if it should finally come, I will obey the Senate. It is just right for a citizen to obey the orders of duly constituted authority,” Morales said.

Defense lawyer Jose Roy III asked the Senate impeachment court on Tuesday to summon Morales and 10 other personalities who claim to have knowledge of the Chief Justice’s dollar deposits.

In exchange, Roy said Corona will face the Senate to answer the charges against him.

Morales said at least three complaints were filed against Corona before the Office of the Ombudsman.

She said among the complaints filed were those by former Akbayan party-list representative Risa Hontiveros and a certain Manuel Santos.

Morales said she would evaluate the complaints to determine if further investigation should be conducted.

She said Corona has 72 hours from receipt of request to comment on the complaint if there are grounds to conduct further investigation.

Graft cases unreported

In a related development, at least 99 percent of Filipinos who experienced being asked for money in exchange for services or favors from government officials or employees do not report it.

A National Statistics Office survey commissioned by the Office of the Ombudsman, however, showed that only 10 percent of the 26,000 respondents said they had such experience.

Morales, who led a fun run in Quezon City yesterday morning, said the survey stressed the need for heightened public support in the campaign against graft and corruption.

“This is an Ombudsman run but the more important run that we are undertaking is the run in order to catch the tentacles of corruption that have been lurking in and out for years,” she told reporters.

Morales joined the fun run from the Office of the Ombudsman building along Agham Road and passed through North Avenue, Elliptical Road, Quezon Avenue and back.

“We invite everybody to cooperate with us to expose all instances of corruption… We would be able to do so many things in order to deter if not eradicate” corruption, she said.

“We want to show to the people that we are indignant against all forms of corruption, be it plunder, fraud, be it graft and bribery,” she added.