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Ombudsman Martires to junk year-old cases at fact-finding level

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Adrian Ayalin, ABS-CBN News

<figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IDqkPsUIDmM" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>MANILA - Newly-appointed Ombudsman Samuel Martires said Monday he will order the dismissal of all complaints that have been stuck at the fact-finding level for more than a year.</p><p>Martires said the dismissal of these cases, &quot;without prejudice&quot; to possible refiling, is in light of the recent Supreme Court ruling on the speedy disposition of cases.</p><p>&quot;I will issue an office order dismissing all cases that are more than one year old that are undergoing fact finding, without prejudice to the refiling of these cases and subject to prescription,&quot; he said during a budget hearing at the House of Representatives.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/31/18/sc-sets-reckoning-period-for-right-to-speedy-case-disposition">SC sets reckoning period for right to speedy case disposition</a></li></ul><p>Martires also said the preliminary investigation, which comes after a fact-finding probe, will also be limited to 90 days and should not exceed a year.</p><p>The new Ombudsman earlier vowed to investigate allegations of &quot;parking fees&quot; being paid to certain officials in order from some cases to drag on.</p><p>Martires said he would summon President Rodrigo Duterte&#x27;s former lawyer Edna Batacan, who claimed to be a victim of the parking fee scheme, to name officers involved in the supposed corruption.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/30/18/new-ombudsman-to-summon-dutertes-ex-lawyer-over-corruption-claims">New Ombudsman to summon Duterte&#x27;s ex-lawyer over corruption claims</a></li></ul><div><strong>Lawyers&#x27; group worried over plan to junk year-old cases</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IDqkPsUIDmM" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><div><strong>WHY JUNK CASES?</strong></div><p>The National Union of Peoples&#x27; Lawyers said the group is worried over this plan by the new Ombudsman, saying this will only benefit corrupt officers in the anti-graft body.</p><p>NUPL&#x27;s Cristina Yambot said instead of junking all the slow-moving cases at the fact-finding stage, Martires can just investigate officers that may be involved in corruption.</p><p>&quot;Ang tamang proseso kung gusto nilang parusahan ang mga tiwaling imbestigador ay mag-initiate ng complaint. Hindi malawakang pag-dismiss ng mga kaso,&quot; she told DZMM.</p><p>(The right process is, if they want to penalize corrupt investigators, they should initiate a complaint, not dismiss all cases.)</p><p>&quot;Mas made-delay kung uulitin lang &#x27;yung mga kaso, lalo &#x27;yung mga malapit nang matapos at may basehan naman kung bakit made-delay. In the end ang talo dito ang taumbayan,&quot; she added.</p><p>(This move will further delay the cases, especially those that are almost done with the probe and has a valid reason why it dragged on. In the end, the people are the losers in this move.)</p><p>Meanwhile, Martires said he will implement, as part of his reforms, a &quot;structural re-engineering&quot; which will affect positions of top officials, including the deputies for Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.</p>

<p>MANILA - Newly-appointed Ombudsman Samuel Martires said Monday he will order the dismissal of all complaints that have been stuck at the fact-finding level for more than a year.</p>

MANILA - Newly-appointed Ombudsman Samuel Martires said Monday he will order the dismissal of all complaints that have been stuck at the fact-finding level for more than a year.

Ombudsman Martires to junk year-old cases at fact-finding level

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Ombudsman Martires to junk year-old cases at fact-finding level

Adrian Ayalin,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 07, 2018 11:06 AM PHT

|

Updated Dec 12, 2019 05:48 PM PHT

Read More:

Ombudsman

Justice

Fact-Finding

Corruption

Parking Fee

Samuel Martires

Edna Batacan

DZMM

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