Ombudsman suspends QC prosecutor Raul Desembrana in bribery

DESEMBRANA’S mugshot taken at the NBI
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the preventive suspension of the Quezon City assistant prosecutor who was caught accepting an P80,000 bribe in a sting operation of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Nov. 14.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales issued a Nov. 20 order placing Raul Desembrana under preventive suspension “without pay for a period which shall continue until the case is terminated but shall not however exceed six months,” the Inquirer learned Wednesday.

It turned out that Morales signed the order a day before the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) filed a Nov. 21 motion seeking Desembrana’s suspension.

An NUPL lawyer, Ephraim Cortez, earlier reported to the Department of Justice that the prosecutor demanded an P80,000 “SOP” in exchange for the dismissal of an unjust vexation complaint against his clients, Dr. Alexis Montes and his son Connor.

NUPL Secretary General Edre Olalia on Wednesday welcomed the suspension order. “It is fine that it turned out that the order was issued moto propio (by the Ombudsman) even as we filed our motion to do so, as time was of the essence to stop such a pernicious practice dead on its tracks.”

“These unscrupulous public officials should realize that not all lawyers are reptiles or some lower form of life—with apologies to reptiles,” Olalia said in a text message. “His breed picked the wrong guys this time.”

Desembrana was arrested by the NBI agents in an entrapment operation at a restaurant inside Quezon Memorial Circle after he took marked money from Cortez. He posted bail at P60,000 the following day and now faces charges for direct bribery and violation of the code of conduct for public officials.

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