Ombudsman suspends graft prober, labor arbiter caught in sting
The Office of the Ombudsman (File photo by NINO JESUS ORBETA / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
MANILA — The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the six-month preventive suspension of the graft investigator and his labor arbiter cousin who were arrested in an entrapment operation over the weekend.
Besides multiple administrative charges, Associate Graft Investigation Officer III Leonardo Nicolas and Dagupan City labor arbiter Isagani Nicolas also face charges of direct bribery, graft, and violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
In a statement on Tuesday, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales said: “The Ombudsman does not condone any form of corruption among its ranks. We will not let up in the campaign to remove undesirables in government service.”
Besides multiple administrative charges, Associate Graft Investigation Officer III Leonardo Nicolas and Dagupan City labor arbiter Isagani Nicolas also face charges of direct bribery, graft, and violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
In a statement on Tuesday, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales said: “The Ombudsman does not condone any form of corruption among its ranks. We will not let up in the campaign to remove undesirables in government service.”
The two Nicolases went through inquest proceedings on early Saturday morning, after they were apprehended by the National Bureau of Investigation in a resort in Lingayen, Pangasinan.
The Office of the Ombudsman had requested the NBI’s assistance for a joint entrapment operation, after receiving a tip that the investigator pretended to be a lawyer and tried to extort P3 million from local officials in exchange for dropping complaints under fact-finding investigation.
During the sting, Leonardo was caught with a fraudulent copy of an evaluation report purportedly issued by the Ombudsman Field Investigation Office. The fake report was allegedly presented in exchange for P3 million. SFM
