All cases vs officials to be resolved by 2016

CEBU, Philippines - Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Paul Elmer Clemente assures  that all complaints involving public officials will be resolved before the 2016 national elections.

Clemente, who was the guest in the 37th quarterly meeting of the Cebu Citizen’s Press Council yesterday, said they received a memorandum from Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales direc-ting the anti-graft office to resolve cases involving public officials before the election period.

Clemente explained that this is needed because if public officials with cases will run again in the next election, the cases filed against them, especially administrative cases, will become moot and academic if they will win in the election.

But Clemente clarified that only administrative cases will be dismissed as it is covered under the Aguinaldo Doctrine while criminal cases will push through.

Clemente likewise stressed to the Cebu media during the meeting that their office is transparent, explaining that there are limitations because of the rule of confidentiality of their office.

He said that from the time of the filing of the complaint to the disposal of the case, their office cannot give information to the media because of the sub judice rule or the law that restricts the release of comments and disclosures related to pending judicial proceedings

He, however, said the media can get the information or the document from the complainant.

Meanwhile, the Cebu Federation of Beat Journalists  and the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas support the resolution of the CCPC opposing the proposed amendments to City Ordinance 1408 otherwise known as Anti-obscenity Ordinance on the powers of the Cebu City Anti-Indecency Board.

In the proposed amendments, the CCPC opposed the provisions that the CCAIB can inspect bookshops and magazine stands any time of the day or night even without a court order and confiscate printed publications which the board considers obscene.

The CFBJ and the KBP said it would be illegal for the CCAIB to inspect or seize stores or magazines without search warrants because only the court can determine what is obscene or not.   (FREEMAN)