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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Ombudsman regains momentum in disposition of cases – Martires

Ombudsman regains momentum in disposition of cases – Martires

Published Dec 28, 2022 02:00 pm

Ombudsman Samuel R. Martires

Ombudsman Samuel R. Martires on Wednesday, Dec. 28, said his office has filed 209 graft, malversation and civil cases against government officials and employees as of Sept. 30, 2022.

The figure, he said, is 46 more than the 163 cases filed for the whole year of 2021.

At the same time, Martires said that of the 2,500 cases pending with the seven divisions of the Sandiganbayan, 600 cases have been resolved for the past nine months ending Sept. 30.

He said the filing and resolution of cases have slowed down the past two years because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

But he said his office has regained its momentum as he expressed optimism that work will speed up starting in 2023.

He noted that no less than the Sandiganbayan had admonished Ombudsman prosecutors for using the Covid-19 pandemic for their “absolute and complete inability” to perform their mandate.

He cited the Nov. 25, 2022 resolution of the anti-graft court which dismissed a case against for violation of the accused’s right to speedy disposition of cases.

He quoted the court’s ruling which stated: "While the Court may accept that operations within the OMB may have been hampered on certain occasions in compliance with strict health protocols, even conceding that the Office of the Ombudsman veritably reduced its manpower capacity restricting its ability to operate at full speed during the apex of the pandemic, the Court is not persuaded that the operations within the OMB were at a virtual standstill during the entire length of the period between March 2020 until October 2021.”

TAGS: #Ombudsman #Martires #Sandiganbayan

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