YEARENDER: All eyes on Ombudsman

MANILA, Philippines - The public is still waiting for the Office of the Ombudsman to act on the plunder charges filed against Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr. before the Sandiganbayan.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) filed the complaints last September, and people are anxiously awaiting the results of the preliminary investigation.

Speaking before foreign and local businessmen at the Shangri-La Hotel in Makati shortly after plunder charges were filed against the three lawmakers and 35 others, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales told the audience the evidence had surprised her.

“Yesterday, I had a field day going over the first batch of documentary evidence submitted by the NBI and I assure you, you’ll be in for a surprise, it’s going to take much less,” she said.

In a recent television appearance, Morales said she had spent millions in intelligence funds for the investigation.

The retired Supreme Court justice continued to keep her distance from media in 2013, occasionally granting quick interviews and answering questions in public forums.

The anti-graft agency also handled other big cases last year, starting with an order to file graft cases against three Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) officials and homicide and obstruction of justice against a Sulu mayor in January.

In February, Morales ordered criminal and administrative charges filed against 11 police officials over the alleged overpricing of rubber boats.

The following month, the Office of the Ombudsman announced the arrest of a former Bureau of Internal Revenue employee for extortion, suspended one of its own employees for unlawful disclosure of confidential information and preparing fake resolutions, and ordered the filing of graft and malversation charges against former officials of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

In April, 11 counts of perjury were filed against former military comptroller Jacinto Ligot and former police officials were charged in court for their alleged involvement in the so-called Euro generals scandal.

In June, the Office of the Ombudsman found a former deputy ombudsman liable for tampering with official documents.

It was in July that Morales created a panel to investigate the pork barrel scam and directed the indictment of former police officials in the light armored vehicles repair anomaly.

More cases were decided and Sandiganbayan convictions were secured from August to December 2013.