Timelines for ombudsman

The Office of the Ombudsman — now headed by ex-justice secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla — announced last Friday that about 14 to 15 public officials are likely to be charged at the Sandiganbayan on or before Nov. 25. Cases of bribery, indirect bribery, malversation of public funds and falsification of public documents would be filed against all those implicated in the alleged “ghost” flood control projects in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

- MARICHU A. VILLANUEVA

It will be the first batch of cases that were already investigated by the Department of Justice (DOJ) while Remulla was previously heading it. The DOJ was earlier deputized by the Senate Blue Ribbon committee to investigate the five flood control projects in Bulacan that initially came out as either nonexistent or were found tainted with corruption.

It will be logical to expect those who will be charged will consist of DPWH district engineers in Bulacan, headed by Henry Alcantara and his assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez and the rest of their conspirators. All of them got sacked from their respective posts for their shenanigans in office after ex-transportation secretary Vivencio “Vince” Dizon took over the helm at the DPWH.

These Bulacan DPWH district engineers all rose to national infamy after they admitted in congressional public hearings how they bilked the government’s budget on flood control projects in alleged conspiracy with favored contractors. Some of these contractors, led by the Discaya-owned firms, were among the 15 earlier identified by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM) as having cornered the biggest flood control projects nationwide.

Most of these accused DPWH district engineers fall under Salary Grade 25 and below. So their cases will be filed at the Sandiganbayan that has jurisdiction over public officials which fall under Salary Grade 27 and below.

Thus, only the small fishes caught at this stage will be the first ones to be fried...er tried by the anti-graft court.