OMB chief, 3 others face graft raps

MANILA, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman ordered the filing of graft charges yesterday against Optical Media Board (OMB) chairman and chief executive officer Ronnie Ricketts and three other officers of the agency.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales also slapped Ricketts, executive director Cyrus Paul Valenzuela, Enforcement and Inspection Division chief Manuel Mangubat, Investigation Agent I Joseph Arnaldo, and Computer Operator II Glenn Perez, with a six-month suspension order after finding them all guilty of an administrative offense.

The cases stemmed from their allegedly questionable acts following a raid on a private establishment in Quiapo, Manila more than four years ago wherein three Chinese were arrested. 

Graft probers said they found substantial evidence to hold Ricketts and other top officials of the OMB administratively liable for neglect of duty in connection with the post-raid operations conducted against Sky High Marketing Corp.

Morales said their acts also constitute a violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

According to investigators, on May 27, 2010, OMB agents raided Sky High’s offices and seized 127 boxes and two sacks of pirated digital video discs (DVDs) and video compact discs (VCDs) and video recording equipment.

After the raid, the confiscated items were brought to the OMB office in the afternoon but were pulled out from the premises later in the evening. 

Records show that Ricketts instructed the pullout of the seized items, without any approved gate pass, using an Isuzu Elf truck owned Sky High.

The Office of the Ombudsman’s decision said Ricketts, who was present during the raid, “did not deny Perez’s claim that it was he who ordered the reloading.”

As head of OMB, graft probers said Ricketts “should have directed the filing of case/s against the violators, but he did not.”

They also said the “unjustified” release of the confiscated items “compromised” the evidence for the case against Sky High.