Chief graft-buster to stay until 2012

OMBUDSMAN Maria Merceditas Navarro Gutierrez stays as chief graftbuster and finish her term up to November 30, 2012.

Gutierrez made the statement after the signing of the memorandum of agreement in Combating Corruption in Human Trafficking Cases held at the Office of the Ombudsman on Wednesday.

She said that she has a sworn duty as fighter against graft and corruption and will make most of her stay as chief graftbuster.

“I have a sworn duty. I will make most of my stay by working hard,” she said.

Gutierrez has a seven-year term as Ombudsman starting on December 1, 2005 and shall end on November 30, 2012. Issues cropped-up that Gutierrez was allegedly offered other positions in government, but she denies the same.

“We have so many projects to finish and we still have a lot of job to do,” Gutierrez pointed out.

Office of the Ombudsman warned the officials and employees of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) that they will face sanctions if they will be proven engaged in human trafficking.

Gutierrez said that to curb human trafficking, they will focus against the erring Immigration officials and employees plus with the help of the people who are willing to testify against them.

“We have to focus against the officials and personnel of the Bureau of Immigration particularly those assigned in the ports,” she said.

Gutierrez added that the Barangay Captains should also help in the campaign since they know the people who are acting as recruiters and if government officials are involved in these cases.

The memorandum of agreement was signed by Gutierrez along with Justice Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor, Ambassador of the Netherlands to the Philippines Robert Brinks and Australian Federal agent Michael Kilfoyle.

Blancaflor said that the government must double its efforts in fighting human trafficking in the country to save our kababayans from falling into the hands of illegal recruiters.

The Department of Justice said that he will join hands with the Ombudsman in combating corruption against government officials who are engaged in human smuggling. Blancaflor is known in the legal circle in leading the fight against human trafficking and prosecuting offenders who are engaged in these illegal business. –JOMAR CANLAS Reporter, Manila Times