Ombudsman Morales remains mum on impeach threat

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales on Monday remained mum on the threat of impeachment by the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC).

"That's their opinion, I have no reaction to that. Sabi nila i-fine-tune nila in light of the strict processing conducted by the Congress," Morales told reporters at the opening of the 13th Meeting of the Southeast Asian Parties Against Corruption (SEAPAC) in Mandaluyong City.

Morales made the remark following the statement of lawyer Ferdinand Topacio last week where he said their group is still "putting the finishing touches" in the complaint against the Ombudsman. 

Lawyer Manuelito Luna earlier said that an impeachment complaint consolidating all allegations from three different groups will be filed against the Ombudsman when the House of Representatives resumes its sessions.

Luna will be filing the complaint along with Topacio, former congressmen Jacinto Paras, Glenn Chong, and Vanguard of the Philippine Constitution Inc. president Atty. Eligio Mallari.

The House has resumed its session on Monday this week, but no complaint against the Ombudsman has been filed yet.

"Siguro by next week [mafa-file na namin], we are still putting the finishing touches," Topacio said.

Morales had remained unfazed by the impeachment threat of the VACC since May.

Morales even referred to the complaint when asked by reporters last Wednesday on when the anti-graft body plans to resolve the cases over the alleged anomalous maintenance contract of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3. 

"Oo naman, siguro aksyunan naman natin kaagad. Hindi puwedeng hintayin ang July bago mo aksyunan. I'm supposed to retire next year, unless I get impeached or convicted," she said.

Morales, meanwhile, said she is not concerned about the ongoing impeachment proceedings against Cheif Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno at the House of Representatives.

"It doesn't worry me at all," Morales said.

Minimize corruption

Morales was the keynote speaker of the 13th SEAPAC meeting where the Ombudsman served as the symposium's host.

Delegates in the event included anti-corruption agencies from Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei Darussalam, Myanmar and Indonesia.

While it may be smaller than the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Morales said the forum can serve as a venue for the nations to craft campaigns that could at least minimize corruption in their respective countries.

"It's always fine-tuning areas of cooperation, especially on anti-corruption and improving governance, because by improving governance we will hit on the nail the problem of corruption, not necessarily eradication but at least we can minimize the incidence of corruption," she said. — RSJ, GMA News