Photo from the office of Sen. Leila de Lima
Ombudsman Samuel Martires’ order to no longer appeal before the Supreme Court lost cases in the Sandiganbayan and the lower courts has signaled a “path towards impunity and away from accountability,” detained Senator Leila de Lima said Thursday.
Last Sept. 24, Martires issued an order stating that the Ombudsman would no longer appeal before the SC the dismissal of cases and acquittals by both the trial courts and the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan, as well as cases at the Court of Appeals.
“I consider this as a clear sign that we are now in a path towards impunity and away from accountability,” De Lima said in a statement.
The opposition senator stressed the 2001 case of Uy v. Sandiganbayan, wherein the high tribunal emphasized that: “The prosecution of offenses committed by public officers and employees is one of the most important functions of the Ombudsman.”
De Lima also stressed that the mandate of the Ombudsman “as the protector of the people impresses upon him and his office the obligation to be an active and effective agent of the people in ensuring accountability in public office.”
“However, we are now living in dark times, under a president whose utter disregard, disrespect and contempt of the laws is an every day occurrence. Kung ang nasa tuktok ng administrasyon mismo ang bumabali at bumabastos sa mga batas, ano pa nga ang aasahan nating mga Pilipino?” she added.
President Rodrigo Duterte earlier appointed Martires as the new Ombudsman after Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales retired in July.
De Lima has also questioned Martires’ “independence” from the President.
“In his [Martires] short stint in the Supreme Court, he has always voted in favor of Duterte’s positions no matter how tenuous they were,” she said of Martires who was a former SC associate justice.
The staunch administration critic also cited how Martires allowed Malacañang’s dismissal against Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Carandang, who initiated a probe into the alleged unexplained wealth of Duterte and his family.
Martires, she added, has also ordered his prosecutors to withdraw all pending motions for the preventive suspension of public officials being prosecuted and to refrain from filing the same in future cases.
“It appears that there is a systematic attempt on the part of the new Ombudsman to reduce the efforts of his office to half-measures. Such trend will not only end up frustrating the ends of justice, but will operate to embolden those who seek to abuse the public office for personal gains,” she said.
“This administration’s lack of interest to hold those guilty of abuse of power responsible is so telling; that there cannot be any clearer manifestation of the erosion of the independence and zeal of the Office of the Ombudsman than this,” De Lima added. /jpv
RELATED STORY
New Ombudsman Martires: I won’t be used by politicians