Where’s the Ombudsman?
>> Wednesday, September 30, 2020
LETTERS FROM THE AGNO
March L. Fianza
There is cause for worry over the investigation of alleged massive corruption in the primary health care government-owned and controlled corporation in the country. This after, the Ombudsman issued Memorandum Circular No. 01 that now restricts access to government officials’ statement of assets liabilities and net worth (SALN) by the public and media.
The new Ombudsman policy said “no SALN will be furnished to the requester unless he/she presents a notarized letter of authority from the declarant allowing the release of the requested SALN.” Along with that, the conduct of lifestyle checks on government officials was also suspended.
Those are causes for alarm that worries many of us because there are “opportunities” of possible escape from charges of corruption since the Ombudsman issued MC No. 01 on Sept. 10, 2020. The lifestyle check of people suspected of stealing taxpayers’ money “should be done away with since this is illogical and no longer attuned to reality,” the Ombudsman said.
It follows that there is reason to pity the whistle-blowers who risk their lives, resign from their jobs and alter their careers because they do not want what they see. One of them is Atty. Thorrsson Montes Keith, the anti-fraud legal officer of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation who resigned from his position due to alleged corruption in the GOCC.
Atty. Keith was forced to resign, because according to him, he was against the mandatory PhilHealth contribution of OFWs as it is unconstitutional and not part of the Universal Healthcare Law. He was considered a “hero” by the OFWs when he sacrificed his personal security for their protection.
But his main reason was because of the alleged widespread corruption in PhilHealth. He was later invited to divulge what he knew before the Senate Committee of the Whole as a witness during the investigation of the PhilHealth corruption controversy.
In times of crisis such as the Covid-19 pandemic, we need real heroes. We expect people to set aside their personal interests and make good use of the funds of PhilHealth to pay the medical bills of as many as possible. Instead, the Senate reported that corrupt officials of the agency took the pandemic as an opportunity to steal money.
After so many congressional hearings and investigations of varied issues, the government still fails to get the guilty parties convicted. After many congressional hearings, it showed that the problem within PhilHealth was deeply rooted. Then comes the Ombudsman’s new policy restricting access to government officials’ SALNs and suspending lifestyle checks.
These are against the mandate of the Ombudsman’s office as the anti-corruption arm of the government. Many are sued, but not so many are convicted. Maybe that is why the public officials being questioned in congress are not candid, they keep changing answers and obviously tell lies.
Access to SALNs and doing lifestyle checks are supposed to be simple and yet effective in knowing if public officials are performing their duties well and not just stealing money from peoples’ taxes through their positions. The Office of the Ombudsman was precisely created for this.
But the Ombudsman said during a budget hearing in Congress that the SALNs are being used as “weapons” against enemies in politics, and that it is not required in a corruption investigation under Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Aside from the suspension of lifestyle checks, the Ombudsman also suggested in front of congressmen that his office can be abolished because nothing will happen with cases filed against corrupt officials because anyway witnesses refuse to testify.
If the Ombudsman himself thinks his office cannot do anything to fight corruption even with the findings of Congress regarding the allegations of widespread corruption in PhilHealth, then maybe that could probably be the motivation in President Duterte’s mind why he suggested that PhilHealth be abolished.
Until now, the PhilHealth executive officials appear to be resisting calls for their resignation. With the new Ombudsman policy on SALNs and lifestyle checks, the resistance even grows stronger.
March L. Fianza
There is cause for worry over the investigation of alleged massive corruption in the primary health care government-owned and controlled corporation in the country. This after, the Ombudsman issued Memorandum Circular No. 01 that now restricts access to government officials’ statement of assets liabilities and net worth (SALN) by the public and media.
The new Ombudsman policy said “no SALN will be furnished to the requester unless he/she presents a notarized letter of authority from the declarant allowing the release of the requested SALN.” Along with that, the conduct of lifestyle checks on government officials was also suspended.
Those are causes for alarm that worries many of us because there are “opportunities” of possible escape from charges of corruption since the Ombudsman issued MC No. 01 on Sept. 10, 2020. The lifestyle check of people suspected of stealing taxpayers’ money “should be done away with since this is illogical and no longer attuned to reality,” the Ombudsman said.
It follows that there is reason to pity the whistle-blowers who risk their lives, resign from their jobs and alter their careers because they do not want what they see. One of them is Atty. Thorrsson Montes Keith, the anti-fraud legal officer of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation who resigned from his position due to alleged corruption in the GOCC.
Atty. Keith was forced to resign, because according to him, he was against the mandatory PhilHealth contribution of OFWs as it is unconstitutional and not part of the Universal Healthcare Law. He was considered a “hero” by the OFWs when he sacrificed his personal security for their protection.
But his main reason was because of the alleged widespread corruption in PhilHealth. He was later invited to divulge what he knew before the Senate Committee of the Whole as a witness during the investigation of the PhilHealth corruption controversy.
In times of crisis such as the Covid-19 pandemic, we need real heroes. We expect people to set aside their personal interests and make good use of the funds of PhilHealth to pay the medical bills of as many as possible. Instead, the Senate reported that corrupt officials of the agency took the pandemic as an opportunity to steal money.
After so many congressional hearings and investigations of varied issues, the government still fails to get the guilty parties convicted. After many congressional hearings, it showed that the problem within PhilHealth was deeply rooted. Then comes the Ombudsman’s new policy restricting access to government officials’ SALNs and suspending lifestyle checks.
These are against the mandate of the Ombudsman’s office as the anti-corruption arm of the government. Many are sued, but not so many are convicted. Maybe that is why the public officials being questioned in congress are not candid, they keep changing answers and obviously tell lies.
Access to SALNs and doing lifestyle checks are supposed to be simple and yet effective in knowing if public officials are performing their duties well and not just stealing money from peoples’ taxes through their positions. The Office of the Ombudsman was precisely created for this.
But the Ombudsman said during a budget hearing in Congress that the SALNs are being used as “weapons” against enemies in politics, and that it is not required in a corruption investigation under Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Aside from the suspension of lifestyle checks, the Ombudsman also suggested in front of congressmen that his office can be abolished because nothing will happen with cases filed against corrupt officials because anyway witnesses refuse to testify.
If the Ombudsman himself thinks his office cannot do anything to fight corruption even with the findings of Congress regarding the allegations of widespread corruption in PhilHealth, then maybe that could probably be the motivation in President Duterte’s mind why he suggested that PhilHealth be abolished.
Until now, the PhilHealth executive officials appear to be resisting calls for their resignation. With the new Ombudsman policy on SALNs and lifestyle checks, the resistance even grows stronger.
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