Saturday, January 12, 2008 Ombud belies charge he won’t probe CICC
DEPUTY Ombudsman Pelagio Apostol yesterday denied a businessman’s allegation that he has refused to investigate the alleged anomalies surrounding the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC).
“He is lying. He is muddling the case,” an irked Apostol said, adding that media has even reported on the status of the anti-graft office’s fact-finding investigation on the issue in certain instances. “He even comes to the office to make follow up.”
Critic
Apostol was referring to businessman Crisologo Saavedra, Gov. Gwen Garcia’s critic and among the first persons to raise charges that the CICC cost the government more than what was projected.
Subsequently, Saavedra hinted that the governor caused the overpricing by splitting the construction contracts and going into negotiated procurement instead of bidding – a charge that the governor has strongly denied and one which the anti-graft office is trying to verify.
The allegation has reached the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
Saavedra, last Jan. 2, wrote Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who sponsored the bill that provided for the committee the investigation and “suggested” that the committee subpoena 18 people, including Apostol and Commission on Audit (COA) 7 Cluster Director Delfin Aguilar, when it begins its investigation.
In his letter, Saavedra said Apostol “refused to investigate the CICC anomalous transactions for the reason that he (doesn’t) have enough lawyers to handle the case and has to wait for the evaluation of the COA 7 director.”
Aguilar, he also said, “is responsible for the delay of the evaluation of the COA.”
“I will attend if the Tanodbayan permits it. I am not afraid of anything,” Apostol said.
While he acknowledged that the nature of the Blue Ribbon Committee hearings might clash with the discreet nature of anti-graft fact-finding investigations, Apostol said he’ll give updates if only to be transparent.
He said Saavedra probably believes that by telling Lacson that, he (Apostol) will be compelled to immediately rule in favor of upgrading the CICC investigation into a formal criminal and administrative case.
He said the move only serves to drag the integrity of the anti-graft office down.
“Huwag nilang hahatakin ang Office of the Ombudsman. Ang inaatake nila dyan ay ang integrity na ng Ombudsman. (They must not drag the Office of the Ombudsman down. They are attacking the integrity of the Ombudsman) Kung gagawin nila yan, (If they do that) I will only distance myself from them,” he said.
The anti-graft office is a quasi-judicial body. Being so, it must constantly be conscious of its task of conducting investigations while making sure that the rights of both parties are protected, he added.
Auditing
Apostol also defended COA and its cluster director for Central Visayas, Delfin Aguilar, from the comment that the official isn’t working fast enough in the audit of funds used in the construction of the CICC.
“Auditing something as big as the CICC will take time. Investigating a transaction as big as the CICC also takes time. If they want it fast, I can simply close and terminate the investigation and it’s all over. Dismissed.” he said in Tagalog. (KNR)
