Saturday, October 13, 2007 Nalzaro: Exerting pressure on the Ombudsman By Bobby Nalzaro Saksi
WHEN the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas preventively suspended for six months local government and public works officials linked to the alleged overpricing of decorative lampposts used for the Asean Summit, everybody praised it.
Well-meaning Cebuanos and some local media people also rallied behind Ombudsman Director Virginia Palanca Santiago when Gov. Gwen Garcia sued her and asked her to inhibit from the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) probe.
These people considered the Ombudsman a “knight in shining armor” for fighting graft and corruption and protecting taxpayers’ money.
But the appreciation was short lived. Some of those who praised the anti-graft office earlier are now the ones condemning it for failing to resolve pending graft cases, including those on the lampposts and other Asean Summit-related projects.
Businessman Crisologo Saavedra, who filed cases against Garcia (on the CICC) and other government officials, expressed his frustration over the slow pace of the investigation and demanded the immediate resolution of the complaints. He called on the public to support his crusade and put pressure on the Ombudsman.
Like in the offices of the prosecutors and the courts, cases are piling up in the Ombudsman. It has difficulty terminating cases for lack of personnel. It only has few investigators, who are also doing prosecutorial functions. Many graft investigators either resigned or were appointed to the judiciary.
Meanwhile, the anti-graft office is investigating other cases, like the conduct of elected government officials and employees. These form the bulk of the cases it receives. People victimized by government red tape and the bureaucracy also seek assistance from the office.
One of the Ombudsman’s handicaps in investigating cases, especially on graft and corruption, is gathering evidence. We cannot expect the immediate resolution of cases if complainants fail to submit vital evidence.
Graft investigators cannot do an Agent 007 in their investigation. That will eat up much of their time.
We should consider, too, the human factor. Graft investigators are also human beings who need to relax and do away with stress from time to time. Naa man gyoy tapul nang tawo.
Is the delay in resolving Saavedra's complaint on the construction of the CICC and the lampposts purchase a result of political pressure? We don't know. Your guess is good as mine. In the CICC case, the subject of the investigation is a governor who is close to the powers that be.
In fairness to the Ombudsman, investigating the CICC is not easy because it needs technical evaluation and it has to tap experts to examine the documents. And remember that Saavedra did not submit evidence to support his claim of overpricing.
The purchase of the lampposts and surveillance cameras are easier to investigate because all investigators have to do is compare prices.
Exerting pressure on the Ombudsman is not good. Why don't the complainants help instead graft investigators gather evidence and give them enough time to build a tight case against the respondents if ever these complaints are filed before the regular courts or the Sandiganbayan?
