The Office of the Ombudsman’s preliminary investigation (PI) of cases related to flood control projects, including the ones in Oriental Mindoro and Bulacan, will be conducted within 60 days, according to Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla.
In a press briefing on Tuesday, Remulla said that while a PI usually takes up to a year as allowed by the office’s rules, the Ombudsman aims to speed up the process.
‘We will change it also. What we want is for the PI to be finished within 60 days. Fact-finding, 60 days. PI, 60 days, when necessary,’ he said in Filipino.
He explained that not all cases require a fact-finding phase.
‘For example, the DOJ case was filed when we ordered it to be opened. We are already composing the teams, and by Thursday, we will start the preliminary investigation of the flood control cases filed by the DOJ. As for the other cases filed by Secretary Dizon and the ICI, we’ve already begun working on those,’ Remulla added.
Remulla said the Ombudsman will conduct a PI on six flood control projects-five in Bulacan and one in Oriental Mindoro.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) submitted its findings on the Bulacan projects to the Ombudsman on October 14, while the Oriental Mindoro case findings were submitted by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure last month.
According to Remulla, the Ombudsman expects to start filing cases before the Sandiganbayan in connection with the controversial flood control projects by November. /gsg