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Ni Estong Reyes
HINAMON ni Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III nitong Miyerkoles si Ombudsman Samuel Martires na gumaya sa Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) at Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) sa pagtangging humingi ng multi-milyong confidential funds sa 2024.
Isinagawa ni Pimentel ang paghamon matapos pumayag si Martires na payag itong alisin ang P51 million confidential funds na nakalaansa anti-graft body sa ilalim ng 2024 national budget kung “it will only taint the reputation of the office and of the Ombudsman and its officers.”
“Siguro, in this compromise, you can let go and be the example. Meron nang nag-example. Kahapon si DFA eh gusto bigyan ng isang senador ng confidential funds. Sabi ko pwede mo tanggihan, tinanggihan nila,” ayon kay Pimentel sa ginanap na deliberasyon ng badyet ngOffice of the Ombudsman.
“Isa pa pala, dalawa na si DMW in memory of [late former] Secretary Toots Ople because ang sabi nung [officer-in-charge] nila, if she were alive today and she would be offered the confidential funds, she would have rejected it anyway. So maybe the Ombudsman can be the third agency,” dagdag niya.
Umiinit ang kontrobersyang kinahaharap ni Vice President Sara Duterte sa pag-amin na ginastos nito ng halagang P125 milyon milyong na confidential funds sa loob ng 11 araw bago magtapos ang Disyembre nitong 2022.
Bilang tugon, sinabi ni Martires na gusto nila na siya ang unang investigating agency na tatanggi sa confidential funds.
“On the matter of confidential funds, I’d like to be the first from the investigating agencies to request Congress–that if it will, as I have been saying, it will only taint the reputation, the integrity of the office, as well as of the Ombudsman and its officers– they’ll not have confidential funds during my term of office… I think we can survive without the confidential funds,” ayon sa Ombudsman.
Sinabi ni Pimentel na hindi nabahiran ang Office of the Ombudsman dahil sa alokasyon ng confidential funds, dapat isinagawa ni Martires ng “symbolic act” at tanggihan ang pondo upang sumunod ang ibang ahensiya.
“Ang gusto ko symbolic act eh. If it’s now the Ombudsman saying, susunod na ‘yung iba eh… that’s what I predict. I’m more after, not because it’s tainting your office kasi wala naman talagang taint sa office ninyo, pero that act because it’s becoming a very hot issue right now,” aniya.
“The Office of the Ombudsman takes the lead. Sabihin niya (he said) ‘We can live without that, alisin na ‘yan,’ then I will now challenge the other agencies who are not involved in enforcement of penal laws, who are not involved in securing national security, forget about CIF and focus on your main mandate,” giit pa ng minority leader.
Iginiit ni Martires ang kanyang posisyon na kung sasandig ang ahensiya sa confidential and intelligence fund…upang mag-imbestiga, hindi nito magagampanan nang maayos ang kanilang tungkulin.
Sa tanong naman ni Senator Sonny Angara, na nanguna sa pagdinig bilang chairman ng Senate panel, kung maapektuhan ang tungkulin ng Ombudsman, sinabi ni Martires na magagawa ng kanyang tanggapan ang pagkuha ng impormasyon kahit sa isang tasang kape lamang.
“I can always smile at my friends and probably treat them for over a cup of coffee. We can do that for us… Nakukuha lahat ito sa pangiti-ngiti sa kape, ‘di ba, sa mga PR, PR? Ganun lang naman ‘yan eh hindi naman kailangan gastusan lahat ng pera,” aniya.
“Honestly, there are some intel officers na kapag binigyan mo ng pang-meryenda, kung minsan they refuse. Marami sa kanila, marami mga intel officers…who would even refuse na pipilitin mo kasi they really have to spend especially for transportation,” dagdag niya.
Sa pagtatapos ng kanyang interpelasyon, sinabi ni Pimentel na nasa kamay na ni Ombudsman Martires ang desisyon kung tatanggihan ang confidential funds na inilagay sa kanyang ahensiya.
“Just inspire all of them that it can be done without that CIF, Mr. Ombudsman,” giit ni Pimentel saka inaprubahan ng lupon ang panukalang P5.05 bilyong budget of the anti-graft body sa fiscal year 2024.
