LAWMAKERS on Thursday expressed concern over lack of action on the part of the Office of the Ombudsman to look into the alleged mishandling of billions of pesos in the “Yolanda” rehabilitation and reconstruction fund while it pursues “politically motivated” cases.
Kabayan party-list Rep. Harry Roque said a thorough investigation must be conducted to find out what happened to the billions of pesos that had been allocated to provide relief and rehabilitation to victims of Super Typhoon “Yolanda,” which devastated Eastern Visayas in 2013.
Roque said resources would go to waste if the Ombudsman focused only on the small fry.
Parañaque Rep. Gus Tambunting said that any mishandling of government funds demands attention from the Ombudsman.
“And if there is even a whisper of irregularity regarding the use of funds meant to aid victims of Typhoon Yolanda, then it definitely deserves to be looked into,”Tambunting said.
“To turn a blind eye to the theft of funds meant to alleviate the suffering of those left behind, as well as to honor those who perished because of that great tragedy is a crime by and of itself,” Tambunting said.
Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone also said it is about time that the “Yolanda” funds be accounted for.
“It is about time corruption in the use of Yolanda funds be investigated with outmost urgency,” Evardone said.
The lawmakers made the remarks amid criticism of Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Paul Elmer Clemente for failing to act on allegations that relief assistance for “Yolanda” victims were being stockpiled by local officials and not being distributed to victims.
Clemente also failed to look into some local politicians who were even mentioned by name by President Rodrigo Duterte as being narco-politicians, they said.
Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, meanwhile, questioned the Ombudsman’s “deafening silence” on public officials involved in the illegal drug trade.
Barbers echoed the view of Minority Leader and Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza that the Ombudsman was not taking any action on the matter.
Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop, chairman of the House committee on public order and safety, added that the Ombudsman should, on its own initiative, investigate the government officials and politicians that Duterte had tagged in his anti-drug campaign.
“The Office of the Ombudsman has that power under the law creating it. It can even act on anonymous complaints against public officials. There is a process that it observes,” said Acop, a lawyer and ex-police general.
Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe, president of the Party List Coalition, urged the Office of the Ombudsman to coordinate with concerned authorities in getting vital information that would help the investigation against public officials allegedly protecting the illegal drug trade.
“It would be better if the Ombudsman should get leads from our law enforcement agencies rather than conducting separate probes to save on time, expense and efforts,” Batocabe said.
“But let our enforcement agencies investigate and file appropriate cases before Ombudsman,” Batocabe added.
Also on Thursday, the city government of Makati on Thursday brushed aside allegations of a group accusing Mayor Abigail Binay of doing nothing against the proliferation of online gambling in the city.
The group Anti-Trapo Movement asked the Office of the Ombudsman to file charges against Binay for allegedly failing to curb online gambling in her city.
But Binay’s spokesman and City Legal Officer Michael Arthur Camina said the corruption watchdog was “sadly misinformed.”
“We have not seen or received a copy of the supposed complaint filed by this new group. This group is sadly misinformed. Makati has a strict policy against illegal gambling,” he said.
Camina also said only gaming establishments with licenses from appropriate government agencies are allowed to operate within the city.
“If they are referring to establishments issued permits and operating within economic zones, we would like to stress that these establishments applied for and were given business permits as support services to offshore gaming companies. They are licensed by Peza. They should not be operating as gaming facilities,” he said.
“In fact, in the last four months, the city government has closed down or given show cause orders to over 90 business establishments, including online gaming firms, operating either without a valid license or violating the restrictions of the business permits,” Camina added.
In its complaint, ATM accused Binay and other city government officials of violating the “Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees” for their alleged failure to exercise due diligence in processing the applications of illegal gambling outfits.
The group’s chairman Leon Peralta claimed some online gambling establishments were able to secure permits after supposedly presenting illegal licenses.
Peralta added that Makati has become a “haven” for gambling, which he claimed, also encourages the proliferation of illicit drugs and the entry of illegal immigrants.
The anti-graft court, meanwhile, acquitted former mayor Elenita Binay of graft over the alleged anomalous purchase of office fixtures and furniture for city hall for P13.25 million.
In its decision released Thursday, the Sandiganbayan said the prosecution “failed to establish the elements” to pin Binay down.
Similarly, Binay’s co-accused in the case, former councilor and general services chief Ernesto Aspillaga and Vivian Edna Edurise, were also acquitted of the same graft charge.
The graft case filed against Binay before the anti-graft court’s Fourth Division stemmed from the Makati City government’s acquisition of office fixtures and furniture for the new city hall from private contractor Office Gallery International sometime in December 1999 and February 2000.
The P13.25 million worth of purchase was overpriced by P3.6 million, said a report submitted by a team of government auditors.
Binay, along with her husband, former Vice President Jejomar Binay, were facing another graft case before the Fifth Division over the alleged anomalous purchase of office furniture and fixtures costing P72.06 million in 1999.
Mrs. Binay is also facing graft and malversation cases before the Third Division for the alleged questionable purchase of beds and sterilizers worth P45 million for the Ospital ng Makati in 2000 and 2001. With Joel E. Zurbano