Ombud starts graft drive in own backyard

NEWLY appointed tanodbayan Conchita Carpio-Morales has started her campaign  against graft and corruption in the country.

As expected she decided to start within her own backyard.

Morales has issued a memorandum directing all Ombudsman officials and employees to be at their respective offices from 8 am to 5 pm during workdays.

Punch cards for each employees would be strictly monitored.

In an interview, Assistant Ombudsman Virginia Palanca-Santiago described Morales as “firm.”

“She (Morales) said we have to start with a clean slate,” Santiago told reporters last week.

Santiago said Morales directed them to submit an inventory of all cases so the new tanodbayan would have knowledge regarding the cases pending before the anti-graft office.

Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Pelagio Apostol said he  wanted Morales to decentralize the  resolutions of cases.

In an earlier interview, Apostol said sending cases that involve high-ranking government officials to their central office in Manila as ordered by former  ombudsman  Merceditas Gutierrez delayed the issuance of resolutions.

Cases referred to the Preliminary Investigation, Administrative, Adjudication and Review Bureau of the  Ombudsman  in Manila include the 2009 purchase of the Balili property in Naga City, south Cebu, and 2007 construction of the Cebu International Convention Center in Mandaue City. /Ador Vincent S. Mayol