OMBUDSMAN Conchita Carpio Morales on Friday remained silent as questions mounted about her failure to investigate narco-politicians, Senator Leila de Lima’s supposed involvement in the drug trade, and the alleged misuse of the Yolanda rehabilitation and reconstruction funds in billions of pesos.
She remained conspicuously silent about the allegations of neglect hurled against her by Senator Manny Pacquiao, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II and other lawmakers for turning a blind eye to the proliferation of drugs inside the National Bilibid Prison.
They involved De Lima and Bureau of Corrections officials, narco-politicians like the late Albuera, Leyte mayor Rolando Espinosa, and misappropriation of relief assistance for the Yolanda victims and survivors.
The Office of the Ombudsman, however, has not issued any official statement.
Mary Rawnsle Lopez, acting director of the Ombudsman’s public information and media relations bureau, could not be reached for comment.
Manila Standard contacted Lopez several times, to no avail.
A defeated senatorial bet in the last May elections, Greco Belgica who ran under President Rodrigo Duterte’s PDP-Laban, joined the list of those who expressed disappointment over Morales’ alleged shortcomings.
He questioned why Morales has not initiated a motu propio – on her own impulse — investigation into De Lima’s links to the drug trade at the national penitentiary and gross immorality for having an affair with her bodyguard-driver Ronnie Dayan.
But the Ombudsman has looked at lighter offenses committed by Philippine National Police Chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa for accepting an all-expense paid trip to Las Vegas to watch Pacquiao’s bout with former World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Jessie Vargas.
Belgica hit out Morales after filing an administrative complaint against De Lima seeking her suspension at the Senate for 90 days.
He said the senator committed gross immorality and violated the Code of Conduct Unbecoming of a Public Official and Employee.
The Ombudsman is a stumbling block to seek justice, Belgica said, adding “it must be closed. This I ask, is she for justice or the Liberal Party?”
He said Morales revealed her true color when she initiated a probe of Pacquiao’s “simple” travel grant to Dela Rosa.
On his Facebook account, Belgica asked “Are you working for PNOY (former president Benigno Aquino III, ABAD (former budget secretary Florencio Abad), DE LIMA? Aren’t you by affinity related to the President who serves no one but God and the people?”
Senators have also questioned the jurisdiction of Morales to dismiss their colleague, Senator Joel Villanueva, over an alleged pork barrel fund scam committed when he was then a member of the House of Representatives.