Losing senatorial bet files disbarment case vs Ombudsman

Greco Belgica. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

A former Manila councilor on Friday filed a disbarment case against Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales.

Greco Belgica, who also ran and lost in the 2016 senatorial elections, filed the complaint before the Supreme Court, citing the Ombudsman’s dismissal of the graft and technical malversation case against former President Benigno Aquino III in connection with the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).

He said Morales violated the Lawyer’s Oath and the Canon of Professional Responsibility for approving the resolution acquitting Aquino. But the same resolution found probable cause in filing the same cases against former budget Secretary Florencio Abad.

READ: Ombudsman hit for clearing Aquino on DAP

Belgica said that by absolving Aquino without providing reason Morales showed bias in favor of the former President who appointed her in contrast with the way she prosecuted former President Gloria Arroyo.

“Being appointed by former president Benigno Aquino who actively prosecuted former president Gloria Arroyo, the people perceived her as biased. Her dismissal of the complaint is concrete proof of her bias. She failed to uphold the integrity of the legal profession by not doing what justice demands,” Belgica said.

READ: Ombudsman on Aquino: He’s corrupt-free

While he said he is aware that the Ombudsman is an impeachable official, a case can still be filed against her if the penalty will not remove her from office.

“When a public official does not give justice to her assigned task, then something has to be done. Otherwise, we are beholden to her whims and caprice until Congress decides to act on it,” Belgica said.

“This complaint seeks to bring everyone back to the reality that no one is above the law and public officials should always remember that public office is a public trust…To repeat, this complaint does not seek the disbarment or disqualification of the Ombudsman during her term of office,” he added.

In his prayer, he asked the high court to impose the penalty of public censure against Morales or defer the imposition of the penalty of disbarment after the expiration of term of office.

Belgica said Morales “failed to perform her primary duty as a lawyer engaged in the public prosecution because she did not see to it that justice is done to the detriment of the Filipino people.”

Aquino appointed Morales to the post of Ombudsman when she retired as Supreme Court associate justice in 2011.

She is due to retire on July 25 next year. IDL