Visayas Ombudsman vows fight vs corruption

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines - Deputy Ombudsman for Visayas Pelagio Apostol said their office has launched an intensified fight against corruption by instituting reforms and faster resolution of cases as a way of regaining the Filipino's trust.

Apostol made the assurance in a press conference at the Capitol here Monday, a few hours after President Benigno Aquino III announced in his State of the Nation Address the appointment of retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales as the new Ombudsman.

Carpio-Morales succeeded Merceditas Gutierrez who resigned last May after she was impeached by the House of Representatives following complaints over her inaction on, and mishandling of, several high profile cases.

Apostol, who was in Bacolod to announce the Ombudsman Caravan of Social Services in Kabankalan and Sagay cities, said the Ombudsman Visayas no longer has case backlogs, and the two-to-three-year delays in the resolution of cases forwarded to their central office Manila have already been addressed.

"That's why the public have somehow lost their trust on us. As part of our efforts to regain public trust, we prioritized these cases," he said, adding that delayed cases have become a political commodity.

Apostol clarified that politicians could not influence decision-making of the Ombudsman, and the handling of cases is now more decentralized.

Apostol further called for a unified effort in the fight against corruption, as he pushed for the "One Visayas Against Corruption" campaign, a partnership between government and private sectors.

He added the media also has a vital role in the fight against corruption. "You (media) can criticize us. We want a constructive criticism so we can make reforms and expedite the cases filed before our office," he said.

The Ombudsman's Caravan of Social Services will be participated in by about 30 national government agencies in Kabankalan City on August 5 and Sagay City on September 9, Apostol added.