De Lima: Dismissal of Ombudsman exec 'a good development'

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Friday welcomed the Office of the President's move to dismiss Deputy Ombudsman Emilio Gonzalez III for his alleged delay in resolving the case of slain police Inspector Rolando Mendoza. Mendoza held hostage Hong Kong tourists in August last year in protest of his dismissal from service and of Gonzalez's supposed inaction on his extortion case. Mendoza was killed by responding policemen, but not before he went on a shooting rampage and killed eight of his hostages. Speaking to reporters, De Lima said Gonzalez's dismissal is a "good development" on the Malacanang's actions on the IIRC's recommendations. "That is our recommendation, so I guess that would really be a positive point insofar as Hong Kong authorities are concerned. The IIRC [report] was modified by the Palace legal team. But on the matter about Gonzalez, it was not changed and was adopted," said De Lima. IIRC report De Lima chaired the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC), which investigated the hostage-taking. The IIRC strongly criticized Gonzalez's handling of Mendoza's case. In its first report, the IIRC recommended that Gonzalez and his boss, Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, be penalized for "gross negligence and grave misconduct in handling the case against Mendoza." The committee noted that it took the Office of the Ombudsman nine months before acting on Mendoza's appeal. "Ombudsman Gutierrez and Deputy Ombudsman Gonzalez committed serious disregard of due process, manifest injustice and oppression in failing to provisionally suspend the further implementation of the judgment of dismissal against Mendoza pending disposition of his unresolved motion for reconsideration," said the first report. "By allowing Mendoza’s motion for reconsideration to languish for nine long (9) months without any justification, Ombudsman Gutierrez and Deputy Ombudsman Gonzalez committed complete and wanton violation of the Ombudsman prescribed rule to resolve motions for reconsideration in administrative disciplinary cases within five (5) days from submission," it added. Extortion attempt by deputy Ombudsman? The IIRC also made reference to Gonzalez's alleged extortion attempt at the height of the hostage crisis. Assistant negotiator Romeo Salvador had testified that he heard an irate Mendoza berating Gonzales on the phone because the latter was demanding P150,000 in exchange for the resolution of his case. Salvador testified that he overheard Mendoza tell Gonzalez: “Putang ina mo, humihingi ka pa ng P150,000 para sa kaso ko, kung may mamamatay dito kasalanan mo lahat! (You son of a bitch, you are asking for P150,000 for my case, if anyone dies here it’s all your fault!)' A portion of the IIRC's report said: “This is our society. It drives otherwise ordinary and simple men to turn into murdering monsters at a snap. Because they feel oppressed and need justice but are asked for money. They ask for redemption but are faced with extortion." Gonzalez, who refused to testify at the IIRC hearings, vehemently denied in media interviews that he demanded P150,000 from Mendoza during the hostage crisis. – VVP, GMA News