MANILA, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman has junked a plunder and graft complaint filed against retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Dante Tinga for lack of jurisdiction.
In an order dated April 30, Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez approved the dismissal of the case. It stemmed from a Supreme Court decision penned by him in 2004 that granted the First United Contractors Corp. (FUCC) more than P74 million in just compensation for its blasting works for National Power Corp. (Napocor).
The Ombudsman said the alleged violations occurred while Tinga was in the Supreme Court so it should have been filed before the SC.