The Office of the Ombudsman-Western Visayas has vowed to become a model in the fight against graft and corruption.
Lawyer Ma.Sonnette Daquita, graft investigation and prosecution officer of the Ombudsman-WV, said that their office had already registered 469 members as watch agents who are committed to help them in their fight against corruption in the region.
Daquita said the members of graft watch agents include priests under the Social Action Center, government officials in Guimaras and Iloilo, people's organization, volunteers and others.
"We have so far the biggest number of accredited volunteers in Visayas committed to fight against erring officials," she said.
Daquita, together with Evangeline Nunal, associate graft investigator officer, discussed on Corruption Prevention Unit (CPU)among the members of the Aklan Press Club and the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas (KBP).
The Aklan media when accredited will become part of the official agent volunteers of the Ombudsman to help the agency in the fight against graft and corruption.
Once the KBP-Kalibo and the APC are accredited, its officials and members will become agents against corruption through a Memorandum of Agreement(MOA) to be signed by both parties.
To strengthen its advocacy, the Ombudsman-Visayas is now hiring 13 more investigators to assist them in the expected surge of complaints against suspected corrupt officials in the region.
KBP-Kalibo chair Augusto Tolentino, for his part, said the Aklan media is serious in its quest to eliminate incidence of corruption in the Aklan province.
Based on the data of the Ombudsman-WV, at least 110 government-owned vehicles have already been apprehended for illegal/unauthorized use in Western Visayas by the Task Force: Red Plate.
Of the 110, 16 cases of which came from Aklan, seven in Antique, 19 from Capiz; 10 in Guimaras, 13 in Iloilo City, 15 in Iloilo province and 30 from Negros Occidental.
"We still welcome group volunteers as watchdogs for the Ombudsman in our joint fight against graft and corruption," Daquita said.(PNA)
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