Eye Opener
By Rodolfo P. Gumabong

Resident Ombudsman urged to fight corruption

During the joint meeting of CREBA and the Jaro Cultural and Heritage Tourism Foundation, Inc. Tuesday noon at the Amigo Plaza Hotel, Engr. Ramon G. Hechanova, President of both organizations inquired what the Resident Ombudsmen of the various government agencies are doing to fight graft and corruption in their respective offices. Resident Ombudsmen are supposed to report any malfeasance obtaining in the government. Engr. Hechanova who was the only NGO Chairman of the Regional Development Council in the early 90's was surprised to know the rising cases of corruption in the government and yet these corrupt officials go scot free. Resident Ombudsmen in the agencies are recommended by their heads of offices to the Office of Ombudsman in the Visayas, Cebu City. Hence it is reported that if such is the case, Resident Ombudsmen have no recourse but to be beholden to their heads of offices. There are active Resident Ombudsmen in the service who help facilitate the follow up of clients who come from far away places in Western Visayas. Red tape in some government offices has been reduced through the efforts of Resident Ombudsmen. But what is difficult to curtail is the stealing of millions of pesos by key officials in government through clever manipulation of vouchers, contracts and illegal dealings with private contractors.

Suggestions have been floating around that the selection of Resident Ombudsmen should not be left to regional directors and heads of offices but to the Ombudsman Office which will directly recruit honest men of integrity in government offices.

Msgr. Meliton Oso, Chairman of the Peoples Graftwatch of Iloilo, discussed the deployment of his graftwatch volunteers to government offices holding procurement activities and bidding of materials and equipment according to R.A. 9184. Peoples' graftwatch members are mere observers in the bidding procedures conducted by government agencies. However, Msgr. Oso lamented that some government offices signified their intention not to invite Peoples' graftwatch observers next time for reasons the good priest only knows. Oso said that he submitted their reports to the Office of the Ombudsman, Visayas, and its up for the graft body what action it will take on some government agencies who refuse to allow their observer-member.

R.A. 9184 seems to give no power and authority to observers of the Graftwatch organization during the bidding procedure activities of government offices. Graftwatch observers will merely report their findings to the Ombudsman and as to what action the graft body will take remains uncertain.

People are also urged to help fight graft and corruption in the government which up to the present times has already reached alarming proportions at the barangay level.

How can we stop graft and corruption? It is now in the culture and value of the Filipinos that graft and corruption is a way of life. Only GOD can stop them.