Nuñez: Duterte had a hand in ombud’s order

By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent

MAYOR Oscar Moreno’s accuser yesterday claimed that President Duterte had a hand in the release of the order of the Office of the Ombudsman that nearly cost the local chief executive his post last month.

Engr. Antonio Nuñez Jr. attributed to Duterte the release of the Oct. 6, 2016 decision to dismiss and disqualify Moreno from public office in connection with the case he filed against the mayor, former provincial general services officer Elsie Lopoy, former provincial engineer Rolando Pacuribot, former provincial budget officer Elmer Wabe, and administrative aide Leemar Tinagan.

Nuñez showed this paper an April 12, 2017 registry receipt from the post office to point out that he sent Duterte a four-page letter to ask the President for help so that the ombudsman would act on his case against Moreno.

He said he complained to Duterte that it was taking the ombudsman so long to act on the numerous complaints he filed pertaining to the capitol’s lease of heavy equipment without a public bidding when the mayor was still governor of Misamis Oriental.

The ombudsman decided on the complaints filed by Nuñez and issued five dismissal and disqualification orders on Sept. 6,  2016, Oct. 6, 2016, and May 5, 2017. The Court of Appeals issued a 60-day temporary restraining order against the implementation of the ombudsman’s rulings last week.

Nuñez also lashed out at the Office of the Ombudsman, accusing it of sitting on his complaints against Moreno and the other respondents despite his repeated pleas for it to speed up its work, prompting him to seek Duterte’s intervention.

He noted that the October 2016 decision of the ombudsman was released in June, and he attributed it to Duterte.

Nuñez’s claim cast doubts on the independence of the Office of the Ombudsman. There are constitutional guarantees insulating the Office from political influence and interference.