De Lima on Ong’s dismissal: Moral integrity is not divisible

The dismissal of Sandiganbayan Gregory Ong from service proved that "moral integrity is not divisible."

 

Thus, said Justice Secretary Leila de Lima in welcoming a Supreme Court decision to dismiss Ong for his involvement with alleged pork barrel fund scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.

 

"Finally deciding to dismiss rather than suspend Juste Ong, the SC affirms that moral integrity is not divisible," De Lima told reporters.

 

The Justice secretary emphasized that integrity is the highest qualification for judges and justices.

 

"Members of the judiciary found lacking in integrity cannot be merely suspended because the character disqualification is permanent, not only incidental," De Lima said.

 

She added that the public's trust in the juste system is best preserved by maintaining the highest levels of moral integrity in the superior courts.

 

Voting 8-5-2, the Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed Ong from service after being found guilty of gross misconduct, dishonesty and impropriety.

 

Ong's dismissal came with the "forfeiture of all retirement benefits, except accrued leave benefits, if any, and with prejudice to reemployment in any branch, agency or instrumentality of the government including government-owned and controlled corporation," according to the SC.

 

The SC said its decision was "immediately executory."

 

After her investigation, SC-designated retired Associate Justice Angelina Sandoval-Gutierrez found out that Ong had acted as the contact of Napoles in the Sandiganbayan while Kevlar case was pending in his division.

Ong is the chairman of the Sandiganbayan's Fourth Division, which had acquitted Napoles in a malversation thru falsification of public documents case. The case involved the sale of 500 Kevlar helmets to the Philippine Marines in 1998.

"Ong, being Napoles' contact in the Sandiganbayan, fixed the Kevlar case resulting in her acquittal," Gutierrez said.

 

She added that Ong had received an "undetermined amount of money" from Napoles prior to the promulgation of the decision on the Kevlar case. This made Napoles confident of her acquittal, Gutierrez added.

 

Ong also allegedly went to Napoles' office where she handed him 11 checks, each amounting to P282,000 or a total of P3,102,000 "as advanced interest for his P25.5-million BDO check she deposited in her personal account."

 

Gutierrez said Ong visited Napoles' office on two occasions after participating in the decision in the Kevlar case.

 

Contrary to Ong's claim, Gutierrez also found out that he attended Napoles' parties and was photographed with Napoles and Senator Jinggoy Estrada, an accused in the pork barrel scam case.

 

Meanwhile, SC Public Information Office chief and spokesman Theodore Te told reporters that Ong could still appeal the guilty verdict on him.

 

"(A motion for reconsideration) is always available but judgment is carried out pending MR," Te said. —NB, GMA News