Wanted: Fearless ombudsman

The first batch of criminal and administrative charges was finally filed against resigned Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co and 17 others over a reported anomalous flood control project found in Oriental Mindoro.

- MARICHU A. VILLANUEVA

Less than three weeks after it was organized, the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) initiated the filing of these cases before the Office of the Ombudsman last Monday.

The three-man ICI headed by retired Supreme Court (SC) associate justice Andres Reyes Jr. acted on the findings of the team led by Department of Public Works and Highways acting Secretary Vivencio "Vince" Dizon, accompanied by Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who was then the "special adviser" to the ICI, that conducted the ocular inspection of the project site pointed out to them by Oriental Mindoro Governor Humerlito Dolor.

After Malacañang spokesperson Claire Castro seemingly cast doubt on his impartiality, Magalong resigned. He was replaced by retired police chief Rodolfo Azurin as ICI investigator and "special adviser."

The ICI's first ever interim report was personally delivered by Reyes to the Office of the Ombudsman. The criminal charges included violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act No. 3019), malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents by a public officer (Article 217 in relation to Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code) and violations of the Government Procurement Reform Act (RA 9184). Co's co-accused included DPWH district engineers and the private contractor of the project.

According to the ICI report, Co has been recom-

mended to be charged for receiving "unwarranted benefits" in relation to the construction projects of Sunwest Inc., one of the 15 contractors that have cornered P545 billion worth of flood control projects of the DPWH budget for the past three years.