Latest news with #Martires
GMA Network
28-06-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
House prosecutors welcome Ombudsman stand to await VP Sara trial result
Vice President Sara Duterte speaks to the media in Melbourne, Australia on June 22, 2025. Courtesy: Office of the Vice President video screenshot The House of Representatives prosecution panel backed the remarks made by Ombudsman Samuel Martires who said his office would wait for the outcome of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte before resolving her case. "Ang sinabi niya (Martires) ang kaniyang kapangyarihan lang ay mag-imbestiga, hindi ang mag-desisyon (He said his power is to investigate, not to decide on cases)," House prosecution panel spokesperson Atty. Antonio Audie Bucoy said at the Saturday News Forum. "Aantayin niya ang kahihinatnan ng impeachment trial, which is tama (He will wait for the outcome of the impeachment trial, which is correct). I commend the Ombudsman for that," Bucoy said. In an interview on Friday regarding the issue, Martires said his office does not have the power to prosecute. Further, should the Senate impeachment court in favor of the Vice President, the Office of the Ombudsman may no longer pursue charges, according to Martires. Martires said, "The Ombudsman or any investigating body has to await the result of the impeachment proceeding." "But if the Vice President is acquitted by the impeachment court, wala kaming power to charge her (But if the Vice President is acquitted by the impeachment court, we have no power to charge her)," the Ombudsman said. Martires had also denied that he was out to sabotage the trial when his office acted on the report submitted by the House Committee on Good Governance and Public Accountability. On June 19, the Ombudsman asked Duterte to file her counter-affidavit to the alleged misuse of confidential funds of the Department of Education and the Office of the Vice President. Duterte filed her counter affidavit with the Ombudsman on Friday, June 27, 2025. The House of Representatives had submitted a committee report on June 16, alleging plunder, technical malversation, falsification, use of falsified documents, perjury, bribery, corruption of public officers, betrayal of public trust, and culpable violation of the Constitution. Also named as respondents were Edward Fajarda and Gina Acosta, Special Disbursing Officers; Assistant Secretary Atty. Sunshine Charry Fajarda, Director for Strategic Management Office; retired Major General Nolasco Mempin, Undersecretary for Administration; and Annalyn Sevilla, Undersecretary for Finance Service. All of them are from the Department of Education. Those charged from the Office of the Vice President were Atty. Zuleika Lopez, Undersecretary and Chief of Staff; Lemuel Ortonio, Assistant Chief of Staff; Lieutenant Colonel Dennis Nolasco, Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group; and Colonel Raymund Dante Lachia, Commander of Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group of the Philippine Army. Martires had said the investigation may take longer than the trial, adding that it may be up to the next Ombudsman to tackle the issue. "Mabuti nagsalita na si Ombudsman Martires that he is leaving it to the next Ombudsman to address the case… We welcome that because 'yun po ang tamang proseso eh," Bucoy said. (It's good that Ombudsman Martires stated that he is leaving it to the next Ombudsman to address the case… We welcome that because it is the proper process.) Martires is due to retire on July 27 after serving as Ombudsman for seven years. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
27-06-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Ombudsman: We're not grabbing Congress' power to impeach
Ombudsman Samuel Martires denied he is out to sabotage the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte when his office acted on the report filed by the House Committee on Good Governance and Public Accountability. 'We are not grabbing the power of Congress to impeach an impeachable officer, no. Neither are we trying to supplant the findings of the House of Representatives," he said. Martires said that according to their rules, they should treat committee reports submitted to his office as a complaint. 'We do not treat it as a paper weight or a scratch paper,' he said. On June 19, the Ombudsman acted on the committee report and asked Duterte to file her counter-affidavit to the alleged misuse of confidential funds of the Department of Education and the Office of the Vice President. Duterte filed her counter-affidavit at the Ombudsman on Friday, June 27, 2025. The House of Representatives had submitted a committee report on June 16, alleging plunder, technical malversation, falsification, use of falsified documents, perjury, bribery, corruption of public officers, and betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution. Also named as respondents were Edward Fajarda and Gina Acosta, Special Disbursing Officers; Asst. Secretary Atty. Sunshine Charry Fajarda, Director for Strategic Management Office; retired Maj. Gen. Nolasco Mempin, Undersecretary for Administration; and Annalyn Sevilla, Undersecretary for Finance Service. All are from the Department of Education. Those charged from the Office of the Vice President were Atty. Zuleika Lopez, Undersecretary and Chief of Staff; Lemuel Ortonio, Asst. Chief of Staff; Lt. Col. Dennis Nolasco, Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group; and Col. Raymund Dante Lachia, Commander of Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group of the Philippine Army. Martires said that his office is merely investigating the complaint and would wait for the impeachment trial to finish to determine whether any criminal charges may be filed against Duterte if and when the impeachment court convicts her. 'What we have right now is the power to investigate but not to prosecute. The Ombudsman or any investigating body has to await the result of the impeachment proceeding. But if the Vice President is acquitted by the impeachment court, wala kaming power to charge her,' he said. He added that the investigation may take longer than the trial, saying it may be up to the next Ombudsman to tackle the issue. 'Medyo matagal-tagal pa ito. 'Yun ang mahirap sa mga taong nerbiyoso. 'Yun ang mahirap sa mga taong hindi nag-aral. We are not dismissing anything. What is there to dismiss when our only power is to investigate,' he said. Martires is due to retire on July 27 after serving as Ombudsman for seven years. He was appointed by former President Rodrigo Duterte first as associate justice of the Supreme Court and later on as Ombudsman. Martires denied he acted on the House committee report to pre-empt the impeachment court to favor the younger Duterte. 'Mula nang ako'y in-appoint ni Digong (former President Duterte) sa Supreme Court hanggang sa Ombudsman, ni minsan ay hindi nakiusap sa akin si Digong,' he said. —LDF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
07-06-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Ombudsman asks CA to quash TRO on Gwen Garcia suspension
Ombudsman Samuel Martires has asked the Court of Appeals (CA) to quash the temporary restraining order (TRO) on the preventive suspension his office has meted against outgoing Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia. In a motion filed May 30 but furnished to GMA Integrated News on Saturday, Martires told the CA that the preventive suspension has already been implemented on April 29. The CA issued the TRO on May 15. 'But this Honorable Court closed its eyes to this very basic doctrine that 'when the acts sought to be prevented by the injunction or prohibition have already been performed or completed prior to the filing of the injunction suit, nothing more can be enjoined or restrained… the court by mere issuance of the writ, can no longer stop or undo the act,' Martires said in the motion. On April 29, the Ombudsman suspended Garcia for six months without pay over alleged grave abuse of authority for illegally granting a special permit to a construction company. But Garcia continued to defy the order and obtained a TRO from the CA. The Ombudsman refuted the basis for the TRO saying 'the implementation of this preventive suspension order will impede public service strains credulity. To be sure, petitioner Garcia's suspension will not disrupt the delivery of public services to the people of Cebu.' Martires also said that the prohibition on imposing suspension on government officials during the election period does not apply to the Ombudsman. 'It is a power directly conferred by the Constitution upon the .. Ombudsman, and the exercise of such power is unqualified and not subject to the vagaries of Congress or opinion of government officials… the Local Government Code and the Omnibus Election Code cannot supersede the constitutionally entrenched powers of the Ombudsman' he said. Martires further added that allowing the TRO to remain in effect sets a dangerous precedent. '… it (allows) petitioner Garcia to sidestep the preventive suspension sends a troubling message: that legitimate grievances and complaints of graft and corruption, properly brought before the Ombudsman, can be nullified by a provisional remedy issued in contravention of established rules and jurisprudence… it (erodes) the Ombudsman's prosecutorial and investigative powers,' he said. GMA News Online contacted Garcia for comment but has yet to receive a reply as of posting time. —with a report from Jamil Santos/KG, GMA Integrated News
