Cebu - Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Pelagio Apostol yesterday admitted that the government’s fight against corruption will be affected by the decision of the Millennium Challenge Corporation to withhold financial grants to the Philippines after it failed the anti-corruption indicators.
Apostol said that the anti-graft office has been a beneficiary of the millennium challenge account, adding several trainings for their investigators were conducted through the millennium funds.
However, he clarified that it will not have a big impact on the normal investigative functions of their office as it will be funded by their annual appropriations. What will be affected is their “capacity building,” he added.
Apostol explained that if there will no longer be financial aids from the millennium account they could no longer afford to have trainings with experts from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
These trainings, Apostol said, is very helpful to the investigators because they are taught investigative techniques to catch corrupt government officials.
Meanwhile, Apostol proudly said that the Ombudsman Visayas has topped in the mediation program. He said they were able to resolve about 250 cases this year through mediation.
According to him, this is one of the programs implemented by the Ombudsman that was funded by the millennium challenge account.
Apostol said he was happy that a representative from the MCC was satisfied by what the Ombudsman Visayas has been doing.
He added that at least the Visayas Ombudsman was able to cushion the impression that the Philippine Government is failing in the fight against corruption.
The Philippines was earlier granted $21 million financial assistance from the MCC, a U.S. financial institution that provides assistance to developing countries.
The Philippines applied for a much higher grant next year but was reportedly withheld after the country failed in the anti-corruption indicator. — Fred P. Languido/WAB (THE FREEMAN)