Ombudsman posts 58.5% conviction rate from January to March

MANILA, Philippines – The prosecuting arm of the Office of the Ombudsman posted a conviction rate of 58.5% within the first 3 months of 2016.

Based on the latest figures from the Sandiganbayan Judicial Records, the Office of the Special Prosecutor scored 31 convictions against 22 acquittals from January to March this year.

Among the cases that got the guilty verdict was the graft case involving Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) general manager Nereus Acosta, who was found guilty of misusing his pork barrel funds when he was still Bukidnon representative.

Acosta faced 3 cases. His mother, former mayor Maria Socorro Acosta of Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, was named co-defendant in one of the cases.

During the same 3-month period, the Ombudsman scored in its cases against former Development Bank of the Philippines chairman Vitaliano Nañagas II, who was convicted of graft and estafa; as well as the case against former Davao del Sur governor Benjamin Bautista and 5 other officials, who were found guilty of 4 counts of graft over the purchase of service vehicles.

The agency mandated to probe and hold public officials accountable has also stepped up its drive to file cases at the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan, filing 132 cases during the first quarter of the year, compared to the 357 cases filed in 2015.

The Ombudsman has also resolved administrative complaints in 2015 that led to the dismissal of 260 government employees, while 350 suspension orders have been served.

In 2015, the Office of the Special Prosecutor posted a conviction rate of 75%, obtaining 117 convictions and 40 acquittals. – Rappler.com