Ombudsman agents set eyes on 15 'wealthy' WV govt workers
At least 15 cases courtesy of the "lifestyle check" conducted by the Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas are actively being pursued now. The subjects? Government officials and workers in Western Visayas who have seemingly made it big while in government employ.
While no specifics were released on the identities and offices represented, The News Today (TNT) got the confirmation on the report alongside the conduct of yet more similar lifestyle checks here.
Launched to further fight graft and corruption against public officials and government workers, the Ombudsman has since strengthened its Field Investigation Offices (FIO) purposely for this campaign.
The lifestyle-check focuses on ill-gotten or unexplained wealth of the government officials and employees. TNT learned that serving as FIO investigators are no less than Associate Graft Investigation Officers and the Legal Assistants.
The 15 lifestyle-check cases are distinct from the acted cases now elevated by the Ombudsman into criminal and administrative complaints.
It was only two months back when Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas N. Gutierrez placed under a six-month preventive suspension a ranking official of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in Masbate City "for acquiring wealth manifestly disproportionate to his lawful income."
The suspension was ordered while charges of violation were being investigated relative to the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
As such, any disproportionate wealth accumulated while in government employ will be validated.
Meantime, Oplan Red Plate, yet another Ombudsman project yielded 158 violators mostly here in Iloilo. A total of 113 agencies were involved with government service vehicles eyed by the Ombudsman agents still in use beyond office hours. Twelve other cases are pending and subject of additional validation.
The Ombudsman in the Visayas with a regional office here in Iloilo City recorded a total of 544 cases received and managed to dispose of 352 at the close of 2007.
Deputy Ombudsman Pelagio Apostol in a recent visit assured of more Ombudsman action and Resolution of complaints as he called on community support in the government's unified battle against graft and corruption.