Ombudsman cracks down on case delays; records officer probed

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales. INQUIRER FILE / JOAN BONDOC

An Office of the Ombudsman records officer is under investigation for the seven-month delay in the filing of Mamasapano criminal cases before the Sandiganbayan.

The development comes as the constitutional watchdog grapples with a recent spike in high-profile losses before the antigraft court, which has thrown out charges left and right for “inordinate delays” during the investigation stage.

READ: Define ‘inordinate delay,’ Ombudsman asks SC

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales confirmed that Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) records officer Alma Cagat-Cagat is facing proceedings at the Internal Affairs Board, chaired by Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon Gerard Mosquera.

Asked by the Inquirer about possible sanctions against Cagat-Cagat, Mosquera said that she “hypothetically” faced dismissal for the delay if she was proven to have caused it.

“Theoretically, the offense could be gross neglect of duty and also grave misconduct if the neglect is gross and grave in nature and hypothetically, these offenses, if proven, carry the penalty of dismissal from service,” he said.

Morales earlier said in a Jan. 25 interview that Cagat-Cagat had been ordered to explain why the charges in relation to the January 2015 incident were not filed as soon as she denied the appeal on the indictment in June 2016.

READ: Delayed? Ombudsman tells courts to ‘mirror themselves’

Mosquera, however, did not disclose Cagat-Cagat’s response to the show-cause order, citing the confidentiality of IAB proceedings.

An Ombudsman source, however, said Morales removed Cagat-Cagat from her position as records officer, although she still worked for the OSP. The issue also cost her the promotion to a lawyer position.

The charges against dismissed Philippine National Police director-general Alan Purisima and retired Special Action Forces director Getulio Napeñas for graft and usurpation of authority were only brought to the court last Jan. 24, on the eve of the second anniversary of the incident.

At the time, Morales admitted the delay was only discovered after a television reporter sought updates for an anniversary report.

Just within the first few months of this year, at least 27 cases failed to reach trial on their merits since the “inordinate delay” at the Ombudsman’s level violated the accused’s right to the speedy disposition of their cases. CBB/rga