Acting Ombudsman files raps vs ex-colleague

Acting Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro has filed criminal and administrative complaints against a former colleague, Mark Jalandoni, the former deputy ombudsman for Luzon, for allegedly tampering with public documents.

Jalandoni is alleged to have altered documents involving several decisions of the Office of the Ombudsman, making it appear that he had approved them, Casimiro’s spokesperson Mary Rawnsle Lopez told a press briefing on Wednesday.

Jalandoni had superimposed his signature over Casimiro’s in the resolutions and decisions, Lopez claimed.

“It was a systematic cut and paste, wherein pieces of paper were pasted over resolutions that had been previously approved,” she said.

“Doubts have thus been raised as to the authenticity of the decisions of the Office of the Ombudsman in view of these obvious alterations in official documents,” Lopez said.

The Inquirer tried to get Jalandoni to comment, but he could not be reached on his mobile phone.

Casimiro has included in his complaints members of Jalandoni’s staff—former assistant ombudsman Nenette Morales-De Padua, Rosalyn Martinez, Grace Anne Arnan, Ruby Anne Medallada and Amie Lou Fernandez.

They are accused of violating the Revised Penal Code provision against removal, concealment or destruction of documents.

Disbarment

Casimiro also intends to file disbarment proceedings against Jalandoni and De Padua, Lopez said.

Jalandoni resigned in April following the filing of complaints against him before the Office of the President. His departure came at the height of the impeachment campaign against then Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez. Gutierrez has since resigned and has been replaced by Casimiro in an acting capacity.

De Padua and Martinez are also no longer connected with the Office of the Ombudsman, Lopez said.

The alleged alterations were discovered when Casimiro, following his designation as acting Ombudsman last month, conducted an inventory of some 1,500 documents turned over to him. He found that a “considerable number” of the documents had been tampered with, said Lopez.

The pasting of Jalandoni’s signature over that of Casimiro’s made it appear that it was Jalandoni who was the final approving authority of the rulings when in truth, Casimiro, as the then overall deputy ombudsman, had already approved the rulings, Lopez said.

Lopez said none of the allegedly altered documents concerned cases that have been filed before the Sandiganbayan antigraft court. The cases involved are those that are still pending before the Office of the Ombudsman, she said.

She also declined to mention the specific cases whose resolutions were among those tampered with. But she said that the tampering with the signatures did not automatically mean that the decisions were wrong.

Asked what she thought Jalandoni’s motive was, Lopez said Casimiro has yet to delve into that.

She also said officials could not say whether Jalandoni had been directed to do what he did. They also could not say if Gutierrez had known of it.

“What we’re concerned about right now is the fact of alteration and tampering. At this point, we cannot assume instructions have been given to him if any,” she said.