Ombudsman orders probe of anomalies in government agencies

MANILA, Philippines - Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez ordered yesterday the investigation of alleged anomalies exposed by President Aquino in his State Of the Nation Address (SONA).

Assistant Ombudsman Jose de Jesus Jr. said the details given by Mr. Aquino on alleged irregularities at the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage Systems (MWSS), National Food Authority (NFA), and the National Power Corp. (Napocor) will be leads for the anti-graft agency to go after erring government officials.

“Our probers are silently working,” he said.

De Jesus said Gutierrez and all officials and employees of the Office of the Ombudsman watched Mr. Aquino’s SONA on a big-screen set up in a tent behind their central office in Quezon City.

“We can see President Aquino’s program of government,” he said.

“We see his direction and the Office of the Ombudsman will definitely cooperate with him in his vision and mission.”

De Jesus said Gutierrez did not go to the House of Representatives “to be able to join other officials and employees in their participation at the SONA through this common endeavor.”

“It would be difficult for the officers and employees, eager to hear the President, to still travel to the Batasan, and the Ombudsman decided to be with them, being the agency head,” he said.

“This way everybody in the office would have front-row view of the proceedings and listen to the President outline his program of government and the direction he would want to lead the country and its people.”

An official of the Road Board Philippines (RBP) will ask the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to help identify the 28 “walang saysay” (worthless) projects mentioned by Mr. Aquino in his SONA.

Allan Guevara, RBP legal officer, assured Mr. Aquino that the P480-million Motor Vehicle Users fund was not misused and that they still have P8.885 billion.

“The funds are intact and it is with the government,” he said. “Out of the P8.885 billion, about P474 million is allocated for road safety.”

Guevarra said they are only tasked to spend for maintenance of national roads.

For one project, they only have P5 million to P10 million, he added.

The DPWH implements the road projects identified by the Road Board, Guevarra said.

The RBP has been allocating funds for projects nationwide, as far as Batanes for the last six years. With Evelyn Macairan