Ombudsman marks 3rd year anti-graft presence in Iloilo
Government probers banded yesterday with the region’s top government officials, corruption prevention units, resident ombudsmen and private partners. The occasion was the third anniversary of the Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas – Iloilo Field Office marked by significant accomplishments.
Assistant Ombudsman for the Visayas Virginia Palanca-Santiago opened the day’s event which doubled as a strategic assessment and planning conference.
Santiago in welcoming Ombudsman-partners gave credit to the Iloilo Field Office staff saying while the group worked on a limited number and resources, the outputs were remarkable.
“Based on my initial assessment… I am really proud of them with the integrity and hardwork they have shown… yet there is more work to be done… our staff have been subjected to attacks but we can take it… tulungan lang tayo and with this we can say we can really do the task given to us though it is difficult... ang daming trahabo but we do continued planning conference all for good governance,” Assistant Ombudsman Santiago said.
In full force were members of the Oplan Red Plate, the Ombudsman-led drive against mis-use of government vehicles along with executives of the Commission On Audit (COA) and the Civil Service Commission (CSC).
The Ombudsman event also saw top officials of the Philippine National Police (PNP) headed by Senior Superintendent Ricardo Dela Paz, Iloilo Provincial Police Office (IPPO) Director.
From the Ombudsman family present was Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Pelagio Apostol and Director Maria Luvilla Gaurana. Iloilo Field Office on the other hand came in full force comprised of Evangeline Nunal, Associate Graft Investigation Officer III, Attorney Ma. Sonnette Daquita, Associate Graft Investigation Officer I Maria Luvilla Gaurana and Engineer Fernando Bauzon Jr., Supervising Administrative Officer.
Apostol in his talk re-echoed the need for integrity while stressing that under his watch, “compassionate justice” will mean fighting graft “till the end.”
“Dinadaan lang natin sa diplomasya because we wanted to reach out to these people who are violating the law... we want to reach out even to the corrupt people so they will help us in fighting graft and corruption… and you don’t need re-orientation for this because this is already inherent in you,” Deputy Ombudsman Apostol said.