Press Release
January 29, 2009

KIKO SLAMS OMBUDSMAN FOR INACTION, CITES LOW ACTUAL CONVICTION RATE

The P728 million fertilizer fund scam and the recent World Bank blacklisting of at least three government contractors has sent the Philippines flying off-the-charts in terms of government graft and corruption and has further sunk its already dismal image in the international community.

A recent statement from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) stated that the global financial crisis and the 2010 elections will "likely increase incidences of corruption" in the country.

Yet what firm action has the Office of the Ombudsman taken to protect the interests of the Filipino people and restore public trust in its government?

Independent senator and judicial reform advocate Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan wondered this out loud as he slammed Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez for her inaction on these high-profile, highly controversial cases, among many others.

Reiterating his earlier call for the Ombudsman to reveal the real figures of conviction rates vis-à-vis the actual number of pending cases, Kiko asked, "Why are they dilly-dallying on the action and resolution of these cases? Who are they beholden to?"

In November 2008 the Office of the Ombudsman reported a high conviction rate of 91.3%. However, an earlier statement from the Sandiganbayan showed that the Office of the Ombudsman scored only a total of 18 convictions over 7 months versus 174 cases disposed--or a dismally low conviction rate of 10.34%.

"We need to show the public that nobody is above the law," Kiko said emphatically. "Lumalakas ang loob ng mga masasamang loob dahil alam nila na hindi naman sila mapaparusahan. Mas nagiging sakim ang ilang mga tao sa gobyerno dahil alam nilang malakas sila sa itaas. (Corrupt forces are becoming more brazen because they know that they won't be punished for their crimes. Some people in government are succumbing to their greed because they know that they have connections high up in the bureaucracy.)"

"Bakit napakadali para sa gobyernong ito na parusahan ang mga maliliit na tao, pero ikinukubli nila ang mga kalokohan ng mga nasa itaas? (Why is it so easy for this administration to punish the little people, yet they continue to cover up the crimes of those in power?) This has to stop; we must demand public accountability especially from those who have more power," Kiko emphasized.

As of this writing, it has been disclosed that the Office of the Ombudsman filed only one case before the Sandiganbayan this month despite the spate of scandals rocking the government.

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