Ombudsman requires return of loot before plea bargaining in flood control cases

The accused in cases involving ghost and substandard flood control projects will be required to return in full the amount they stole from the public coffers if they wished to enter into a plea bargain with the government, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said on Tuesday. 

In the same press conference, Remulla said that there were already complaints involving five flood control project up for preliminary investigation by the Ombudsman.

"Pwede mag plea-bargain basta may full restitution," Remulla said.

“We have five cases at least going to preliminary investigation already. Which means, pwede mabilis kasi ang period naman dito to answer is 10 days. And we can join the issues immediately,” he added.

(This could be done faster given that the time to file an answer is 10 days.)

Remulla then said that the evaluation of the complaints, to fact-finding and preliminary investigation to the filing or dismissal of the complaint should not drag on to as much as a year.

“From evaluation to fact-finding to preliminary investigation to prosecution, umaabot siya [ngayon na] may isang taon eh. It has to stop. Dismiss it or file it,” Remulla said.

(The evaluation to fact-finding to preliminary investigation to prosecution currently runs up to a year.)

“[Dapat] walang matutulog [na kaso]. Everything has to move. Iyon ang ating goal dito. And we expect things to be better. And of course, we still need dialogue with the judiciary and research on the part of the special prosecutor,” he added.

(Cases should not gather dust here. That is our goal.)

Remulla said that the faster process won’t compromise the quality of the case buildup and ensure that the Ombudsman’s office won’t be weaponized.

“Para hindi weaponized [ang opisina], para hindi probable cause [lang], kulong na, tapos nakalimutan ‘yung kaso. Hindi na mangyayari ‘yan. We will elevate it to reasonable certainty of conviction," Remulla said.

(The office cannot be weaponized. We won't send people to jail on probable cause. That won't happen again.) “We have to respect the rights of people. So, try them faster and acquit them or convict them faster so they serve their time properly,” he added. –NB, GMA Integrated News