The next Ombudsman?

After the resignation of Merceditas Gutierrez, 27 aspirants have been reported to signify their desire to be appointed Ombudsman. Why the clamor for the position is hard to fathom. For sure it is a plum respected, feared position reserved for the best and brightest men and women. It’s a tough job, placing the official between a rock and a hard place; pleasing one party, antagonizing the other; practising caution to get all facts of a complaint, and working like a dog to beat deadlines and public expectations.

When former Ombudsman Gutierrez tendered her resignation after a long period of harassment and threat of impeachment, she turned over her post to Atty. Orlando Casimiro as acting ombudsman. A graduate from prestigious Silliman University in Dumaguete City, Casimiro was tasked to speed up the disposition of cases languishing in the Office of the Ombudsman.

And that he did!

Gutierrez turned over some 3,854 active anti-graft cases to Casimiro. Within a month, 3,840 active cases were disposed of, terminated and signed by Casimiro as the acting Ombudsman except 14 other cases which he promises to terminate very soon.

After 21 years in the Office of the Ombudsman, and coming into his own as the Overall Deputy Ombudsman in the term of President Aquino, he brings to the office his experience and expertise, and commands the respect of his peers, co-workers and staff. Fully embodying the seal of the Ombudsman comprised of a dagger, shield and balance, Atty. Casimiro has immediately acted on 3,840 out of 3,854 or a 99.6 percent disposal rating for cases turned over to him by his predecessor. He reports to work as early as 6:30 in the morning even before any of his staff or janitors get there.

Casimiro inventoried all the cases from all branches of government as his first step, starting in his own backyard. He immediately implemented a “cease and desist order from performing official and administrative functions at the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for the Military and Other law Enforcement Offices” issued by the Office of the President against his Deputy Ombudsman Emilio A. Gonzalez III in connection with the Rizal Park hostage-taking incident.

GOCCs were not exempt from the scrutiny of the Acting Ombudsman. On May 20, he ordered the preventive suspension of former Congressman Prospero Pichay Jr., chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA). He placed Pichay under a six-month preventive suspension without pay for the alleged unlawful investment of LWUA funds in the total amount of P780 million in the Express Savings Bank, Inc. (ESBI), a private banking institution.

Other local officials and government employees were also charged and cases filed against them, such as Mayor Delfin Ting of Tuguegarao City; former Lucena City Mayor Ramon Talaga Jr.; Zoning Administrator Peter Palamiano, and managing head, bingo department, PAGCOR; Marizmelda Dugayo for violation of RA 3019; former Mayor Antonio Talaue, municipal treasurer Efren Guiyab and municipal accountant Florante Galasinao, all of Sto. Tomas, Isabela for violation of RA 8291; former Calauag Mayor Eric Entienza for violation of Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code, and former Mayor Jorge Bernardo of Morong, Rizal for violation of Article 237 of the Revised Penal Code.

Casimiro has also ordered the filing of criminal charges against two former governors and six others before the Sandiganbayan for violations also of the Anti-Graft Law RA 3019. He also dismissed from the service former Chief Government Corporate Counsel Agnes VST Devanadera and three others for “unlawful grant of allowances for herself and her staff in 2007. He ordered the filing of criminal charges before the Sandiganbayan against former Sulu Governor Benjamin Loong and a private individual for irregularities involving certain livelihood and infrastructure projects in 2007. The acting Ombudsman also ordered the initiation of forfeiture proceedings for the repossession of the alleged unexplained wealth of former Lt. Gen. Jacinto C. Ligot and his family in the amount of more than P55 million. Within a month upon assuming office, the acting Ombudsman also ordered the immediate fact -finding and investigation of cases against some 49 provincial governors and local government officials and swiftly acted upon some 1,009 recommendations from the offices of the Ombudsman of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao including the recommendations of its field office investigators against public officials all over the country.

He told this writer his advocacy under his watch is, “No vested interest will control me, and I will not spare anyone and at the same time I will never harass charged parties.”

This early, he has fulfilled that advocacy.

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 The Word for the World Ladies Ministry will hold its first national ladies convention October13-15 at the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) in Tagaytay City. The theme of the convention will be “Women Making An Impact.”

Guest speakers will be Christine M. Kairuz and Maloi M. Salumbides. There will be workshops tailored to the needs and interests of today’s woman.

Everyone is invited to join, whether they are full time homemakers, career women or students.

Expenses for the three-day convention will be P2,900.

For details contact Emma at 8190606 to 09.

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My e-mail:mailto:[email protected]