02 June 2014- Amidst investigations on the controversial Pork Barrel Fund scam, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales met with the Filipino community during a Town Hall meeting preceded by a simple reception last May 27 at the Kalayaan Hall of the Philippine Center in New York. Upon invitation of US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg, Ombudsman Morales is in New York for a study tour to share her experience and expertise in fighting graft and corruption with her American counterparts.
At the start of the program, Consul General Mario L. De Leon, Jr. delivered his remarks framed on President Benigno Aquino’s message during the recently-concluded World Economic Forum in Manila, “Good governance makes good economics”. He stressed that the Filipino community should understand the workings of the Office of the Ombudsman; all should make it their responsibility to be informed and invested on transparency and integrity management programs of the government. Each citizen is a partner of the Ombudsman in good governance, to lead our country to economic progress.
The Philippines’ top graft-buster then took the stage and addressed the crowd on the mandate of her Office, the past accomplishments including high-profile arrests and convictions on graft cases, and their long-term plans and priorities. She entertained questions from the audience and expectedly, the community members were most interested in the on-going case of high-level politicians implicated in the pork barrel controversy.
Other questions were more general, procedural and revolved around technical aspects of her job as the Philippines’ Dispenser of Justice, including mechanics available for citizens to report anonymously on corruption-related activities they observe from their public servants.
After her New York visit, Ombudsman Carpio-Morales and her delegation, Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon and Environmental Ombudsman Gerard Mosquera, Deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao Rodolfo M. Elman, Director Dennis Baldago of the Project Management Bureau, Acting Director Mary Despojo of the Public Information and Media Relations Bureau, Ms. Evelyn Dumdum, Ms. Mercy Orca, Mr. Robert Strang, Ms. Jacquelyn Bridgers and Mr. Noel Del Prado then proceeded to San Francisco for the West Coast leg of their educational tour. END