Ombudsman not yet inclined to probe DOH

Ombudsman Samuel Martires said on Friday that he would rather wait for the Department of Health (DOH) to comply with the recommendations of state auditors before launching a probe of the agency’s alleged irregularities. “The Office of the Ombudsman would prefer to work quietly and away from the limelight, particularly when the reputation of people in the government is concerned,” Martires said in a statement. The Ombudsman said his office still operated “under the constitutional presumption of innocence and the statutory presumption that official functions are regularly performed.” He also stressed that the auditing process was not yet completed. —Mariejo S. Ramos