Gordon to keep a keen eye on Ombudsman

Independent Senator Richard J. Gordon has vowed that he will keep a keen eye on the Ombudsman to ensure that the anti-graft body will act on complaints against erring government officials or agencies.

Gordon, chairman of the Senate blue ribbon committee, said he is keeping a tight watch over the Ombudsman, even summoning it before the committee if necessary.

"I can understand the cynicism of the people, talagang walang nangyayari sa mga kaso. I can bring the Ombudsman to the blue ribbon committee," he said in an interview with ANC's In My Opinion hosted by Mo Twister.

Gordon was referring to criticisms hurled by various sectors that Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez is being remiss in carrying out her mandate because she appears to be sleeping on big cases filed before her office.

Among these, he said, is the P728-million fertilizer fund scam, allegedly engineered by former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante.

Gordon said because of the Ombudsman's inaction on the fertilizer fund case, the Senate panel has initiated the filing of a case against Bolante, adding that they intend to follow through the case.

"That's why we decided to file a case against Bolante ourselves. We don't wait for the Ombudsman, we don't wait for the DOJ (Department of Justice), we filed the case," he said.

"And we intend to follow through when we finish the investigation and submit a case possibly for massive graft and corruption," he added.

The senator earlier asked the Ombudsman to submit to the Senate blue ribbon panel the action she has taken on the report of Task Force Abono that investigated the P728-million fertilizer fund scam.

As early as June 2006, the said task force, which was created to dig deeper into the fertilizer fund anomaly, has recommended the filing of graft charges against Bolante and other alleged erring officials.

However, the Ombudsman, up to this day, has yet to act on the task force's recommendation.