Keeping the Ombudsman Busy

It was said that the Office of the Ombudsman is always flooded with complaints that thousands of cases are pending resolution.

The said Office has to devise a system of prioritizing cases. Those that are probably politically motivated are possibly left in the suspense files.

Against detained incumbent and reelected Mayor CelsoRegencia of Iligan there are reportedly too many cases pending before the said office.

However, four cases Regencia and his allies filed against Vice Mayor Ruderic C. Marzo, members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod and others got faster attention and were resolved/approved by the Ombudsman on May 23, 2016.

All the aforesaid cases against Marzoetals were dismissed by the Ombudsman for lack of evidence/merit.

These four cases were filed much later than the cases against Regencia and others, such as that one pertaining to the granting of a cash advance in the amount of P20.5 Million to a non-government organization.

There must be something peculiar about the four cases against Marzo et als that prompted the Ombudsman to resolve them earlier.

Of course, it is generally observed that cases obviously infirm can be resolved much easier. It is in establishing probable cause that the Ombudsman or any prosecutor for that matter takes a longer time.

The Office of the Ombudsman is probably familiar with the lawyer behind the verified complaints of Regencia, etals. He was probably the same lawyer who had filed cases since many years ago against former Mayors AlejoYanez, Franklin Quijano and Lawrence Lluch Cruz. All those cases were dismissed for lack of evidence/merit.

After these developments, what will the public expect? It has been ruled repetitively by the Ombudsman based on the law and jurisprudence that a detained public official cannot perform his official duties while under a legal incapacity.

In fact, in an earlier ruling of the Ombudsman Mayor Vicente Fernandez of Matanao, Davao del Sur was found guilty of Grave Misconduct and meted him with the penalty of Dismissal from Service for his continuous discharge of his functions while in detention.

Likewise, in People vsMaceda, the Supreme Court declared that “a detention prisoner cannot hold public office.”

Many lawyers said that as long as the law will be followed, reelected Mayor CelsoRegencia cannot assume office on July 1, 2016. Thus, elected Vice Mayor Jemar Vera Cruz shall have to act as Mayor of Iligan. - The New Ranao Star -