Rep. Joel Villanueva (PL, Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption or Cibac) said the record is proof that the Ombudsman has been sleeping on the job.

"Surveys and even local and international perceptions show how corruption here gets worse. If our national graft buster continues to sleep and not do her job in addressing the twin evils of graft and corruption, then we can expect fewer cases against scalawags and erring government officials in the coming years,’’ he said.

THE Office of the Ombudsman filed 211 cases against high-ranking public officials or 51 percent less compared to 433 cases in 2008, the year-end report of the Sandiganbayan showed yesterday.

The number of cases filed in 2009 was the second-worst record posted by Ma. Merceditas Gutierrez since she took over from Simeon Marcelo in November 2005.

The Ombudsman filed only 93 cases in 2007.

The Ombudsman cannot claim lack of funds as an excuse for its decline in performance as Congress increased its 2009 budget by P372.33 million totaling P1.33 billion from P953.63 million in 2008.

Rep. Joel Villanueva (PL, Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption or Cibac) said the record is proof that the Ombudsman has been sleeping on the job.

"Surveys and even local and international perceptions show how corruption here gets worse. If our national graft buster continues to sleep and not do her job in addressing the twin evils of graft and corruption, then we can expect fewer cases against scalawags and erring government officials in the coming years,’’ he said.

The Ombudsman’s performance over the last decade declined by 66 percent as it filed only 4,056 cases from 1999 to 2008 from 11,933 cases filed from 1989 to 1998.

The Ombudsman filed 698 cases in 1998, 697 in 1999 and 600 in 2000.

In her four years as the chief graft buster, Gutierrez has filed only a little over 1,300 cases at the Sandiganbayan or a yearly average of around 325 cases.

Conrado Vasquez, first Ombudsman, booked 9,834 cases during his stint from 1988 to May 1995.

Vasquez’ successor, Aniano Desierto filed 5,154 cases or an annual average of 687.

Marcelo filed only 183 cases each year during his three-year stay or a total of 551.

Source: Malaya by Peter J.G. Tabingo, January 26, 2010