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MANILA, Philippines – During the seven years in which Conchita Carpio Morales was Ombudsman – investigating and prosecuting cases of corruption against government officials – those who gave her the most headaches were those who were Former President Gloria Arroyo
In an interview with VERA Files a few days before her retirement on July 26, Morales described cases involving Arroyo as "very, very complicated."
Among these cases, there is misuse of intelligence funds from the Philippine Philatelic Charity Office rising to more than 300 million Philippine pesos; the disputable transfer of P530.382.445 from the OWWA Medicare Fund to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation; the £ 728 million Fertilizer Fund, which would have been used in the 2004 elections; and the NBN / ZTE agreement of 16.4 billion pesos ($ 329 million)
Arroyo has been cleared of alleged illegal activities which the Ombudsman's Office investigated, at the time of the arrest. except for the PCSO case, which is the subject of a preliminary investigation. 2016.
Morales said that cases generally branch out on other issues, citing the case of P728-million fertilizer scam.
"Itong mga (these) cases of fertilizer. Mahirap (difficult) in the sense that you collect evidence, you go to the province because we are at the national level. There were a lot of these cases and maybe because of the duration too, either patay na iyong (already dead) witness or they say that it was that, and the documents were destroyed by fire or already destroyed by the floods and all this, so you are trying to think of ways by which you can always come up with the evidence to prove your case, "she said.
In May 2014, the Office of the Ombudsman issued a resolution saying "there is no factual or legal basis" to show Arroyo's involvement in the program to divert from Money for farmers to fund the 2004 election campaign.
Arroyo's new position will not affect an ongoing case. "If she is a speaker and has an ongoing case that involves a criminal and administrative judgment, I think the case can continue," she said in an interview after the leadership reform in the House of Representatives [19659009]. The charges against former Vice President Jejomar Binay were deemed questionable.
The Ombudsman continues the looting of Binay and his son, former mayor of Makati, Jejomar Erwin "Junjun" Binay Jr.
"A much better mediator"
Morales says that She handed over to her successor a mediator "in a much better state than when I arrived", while expressing his confidence that the Office will continue to fulfill its mandate effectively with the reforms that it has undertaken. instituted.
"If they do not like reforms (they) can be modified but not totally ignored, then I would be confident that this office will run smoothly."
Morales took over from Merceditas Gutierrez , who resigned in May 2011, a few days before his Senate impeachment trial begins Thursday, President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Samuel Martires, Deputy Judge at the Supreme Court, as a new ombudsman
Morales listed four qualities that an ombudsman must possess: competence, honesty, integrity and transparency
"She said jokingly
In the many speeches she's had pronounced before her retirement, she pointed out the enormity of corruption and corruption in the government with the cases that they have filed: 2,685 criminal charges with the anti-graft court alone for 2011-2015 against the senior officials and their cohorts, with the exception of those filed in the ordinary courts against low ranking public officials.
In 2016, his office filed 1,298 criminal charges with Sandiganbayan in a single year. The Bureau has reached the highest number ever recorded for criminal cases in 2017, when 2,447 formal charges were laid before the court of corruption,
Morales was proud of the improvement in the conviction rate of The Ombudsman at Sandiganbayan: 41% in 2011 "
She wants to disabuse the misperception of the public that the Ombudsman has not sentenced any" big fish ".
The ombudsman does not have to sentence, she pointed out. "It is the judges who pass the evidence of both the prosecution and the defense … We do our best, we pursue the cases seriously but if the judges of Sandiganbayan think that the evidence is weak, they are out of our control. "
Is she worried that charges will be brought against her now that she is outside the government?
"It's a possibility, but I'm ready," said the ex-judge of the Supreme Court. She is not intimidated by the harassment. Last year, after the president threatened to lay indictment charges for investigating his alleged undeclared wealth, Duterte's supporters who denounced him as an anti-corruption group made accusations of indicted against her.
It is called to enter politics at this time when the public needs a credible rallying figure against the greedy president of human rights, denigrating women and human rights. l & # 39; man.
She said that she was not for politics. At 77, she said that what she needs now is a long rest. Her hoarse voice is a gift of invitations to talk about that she could not refuse and the volume of work that needed to be completed before her last day at the office.
But she said that she would not tire of encouraging people to stand up for what is right: "If you are persecuted and you believe that it will not happen. There is no reason for this, you must assert your right, you must retaliate, because if you are docile, they might think that the charges are true.So you must say 'No, I'm sorry' "
(VERA Files is published by experienced journalists who examine current problems.) Vera is Latin for" true ".)
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