MANILA — The Office of the Ombudsman rejected allegations that the plunder and graft charges against Senator Jinggoy Estrada were politically motivated, insisting that the P573-million flood control project case was the result of a long-running investigation and not political maneuvering.
The anti-graft agency issued the clarification after Estrada claimed that he had allegedly been offered relief from the charges in exchange for leaving the Senate majority bloc, a claim the Ombudsman said should not be used to cast doubt on the integrity of its investigations.
Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano stressed that no individual outside the institution could influence the disposition of pending cases.
“Walang sinumang pwedeng magdesisyon sa ngalan ng Ombudsman pagdating sa mga nakabinbing kaso, dahil ang paggawa nito ay maituturing ding isang uri ng korapsyon,” Clavano said.
“Matagal nang iniimbestigahan ang mga kasong ito. Sa katunayan, isinasapubliko naman ang bawat hakbang ng proseso,” he added.
The Ombudsman recently filed plunder and graft complaints involving P573 million against Estrada and four other respondents over alleged irregularities in flood control projects.
Clavano emphasized that criminal accountability must remain separate from political disputes and warned against attempts to blur the distinction.
“Hindi dapat kailanman pinaghahalo ang pananagutan at pulitika. Kung may mga taong nagtatangkang palabuin ang linya sa pagitan ng dalawang ito, dapat din silang panagutin,” he said.
The Ombudsman also pointed out that its crackdown on alleged anomalies in flood control projects extends beyond the Estrada case.
Among the cases previously filed by the anti-graft body were charges against former Ako Bicol party-list representative Zaldy Co and several others over an allegedly substandard P289-million road dike project in Oriental Mindoro; contractor Sarah Discaya and her co-respondents over a supposed P96.5-million ghost flood control project in Davao Occidental; and former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., a former Department of Public Works and Highways engineer, and several others over an alleged P92.8-million ghost flood control project in Bulacan.
Estrada surrendered to authorities on Monday after the Sandiganbayan issued an arrest warrant in connection with the plunder case. He and his co-accused are currently being held at the New Quezon City Jail-Male Dormitory./PN
