Ombudsman disciplines own employees
18 December 2012
QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES— The Office of the Ombudsman (OMB), in a Joint Resolution dated 08 November 2012, dismissed from the service Wilger R. Urmaza after finding substantial evidence that the latter attempted to extort money from Atty. Remedios S. Espinosa, Officer-in-Charge of the Import Assessment Service of the Bureau of Customs. Urmaza is an Associate Graft Investigation Officer III of the OMB’s Field Investigation Office (FIO).
Records show that the FIO initially received reports of Urmaza’s illegal activities. The FIO conducted an investigation and upon finding evidence that Urmaza visited Espinosa for the purpose of extorting Php500,000.00 from the latter in exchange for dismissal of a pending case filed against her in the OMB, filed a complaint for attempted robbery (extortion), serious dishonesty, grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.
The OMB’s Internal Affairs Board (IAB) found substantial evidence that the respondent committed the acts complained of, including his threatening Espinosa with the conduct of a lifestyle check investigation should the latter fail to heed this demand. Thus, the IAB ordered Urmaza’s dismissal from the service with forfeiture of retirement benefits and perpetual disqualification from re-employment in government.
Premised on the same facts, the IAB also found probable cause to indict Urmaza for attempted robbery and violation of Section 3 (b) of Republic Act No. 3019, otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales approved the above-mentioned Joint Resolution on 17 December 2012.
In a related development, the OMB preventively suspended another employee, Juan Dita Dela Cruz, a Records Officer II of the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for the Military and Other Law Enforcement Officers (OMB-MOLEO).
The IAB found the affidavits of complainants Police Senior Superintendent Pedro Geronimo Ramos and Senior Police Officer 1 Jessie R. Caranto, detailing the unlawful demand and receipt of facilitation money for the issuance of a certification of pending cases by Dela Cruz sometime in March 2007, to be straightforward and candid.
The preventive suspension order stated that “as an administrative officer assigned at the records section of OMB-MOLEO, respondent’s continued stay in office may prejudice the case filed against him†and “there is this need to prevent respondent from using his position and the powers and prerogatives of his office to influence potential witnesses or tamper with records which may be vital in the prosecution of the case against him.â€
The preventive suspension without pay shall be in effect for the duration of the administrative adjudication but not to exceed six months.
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