The Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) needs "urgent reforms" to strengthen and enforce its mandates, and effectively safeguard citizens' rights against injustices and wrongdoings by public officials.
This was stressed on Monday, Nov. 29, by former Caloocan City Rep. Mary Mitzi "Mitch" Cajayon-Uy who was recently acquitted of graft and malversation charges by the Sandiganbayan.
In a press statement, Cajayon-Uy stressed that specific reforms should be looked into, specifically on the business processes of the OMB.
She pointed out that complaints filed before the OMB should require verifiable and substantial evidence similar to those required in the filing before other courts to ensure sufficient basis for the claims and not just mere black propaganda.
In 2015, Cajayon-Uy and former Department of Social Welfare Development (DSWD) Secretary Esperanza Cabral were charged by the Ombudsman for allegedly misusing P10 million of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of the former legislator.
She said if she gets re-elected as member of Congress next year, she will advocate for the review of the Ombudsman Act of 1989 and push for the consideration of imposing fines, payment for damages, and reimbursement of legal expenses to cover all the losses of an accused who stands trial.
“If God-willing I am elected back to Congress, reforms and other measures must be legislated to ensure that complaints filed before the OMB undergo a more stringent screening before cases are filed before the courts so as not to waste government resources," she assured.
She lamented that government officials, such as herself, who are wrongfully charged face the rigors and expense of a full-fledged trial before the Sandiganbayan, and their families suffer public humiliation and their reputations tarnished.
At the same time, Cajayon-Uy said that reforms are needed for the OMB to really fulfill its purpose and effectively utilize its budget.
She said that out of the OMB’s P4.82 billion budget for 2019, P643.2 million was spent on its Anti-Corruption Investigation Program which resulted in the filing of only 17.88 percent of the total criminal and administrative complaints lodged before it.
Also, she said, P469.3 million was spent on its Anti-Corruption Enforcement Program which resulted in just 25 percent success in the prosecution of criminal and civil cases.
“Based on these figures, it would seem that only a very small portion of complaints filed before the OMB are actually case worthy or have enough basis to withstand investigation and trial. The rest can be deemed as frivolous suits or baseless complaints,” she noted.