Aquino stands by deputy Ombudsman’s dismissal

FORT MAGSAYSAY, Nueva Ecija — President Benigno Simeon Aquino III on Wednesday stood by the decision of his office to dismiss from service Deputy Ombudsman Emilio Gonzalez III for allegedly bungling last year's hostage crisis in Manila. In a chance interview here, President Aquino said it is within the rights of Gonzalez to file a petition before the Supreme Court to prevent Malacañang from ordering his dismissal. “That is within his rights and it will add to defining that provision of the Ombudsman Act. We believe that the Ombudsman Act empowers us to carry out the same," he said. Malacañang announced last April 1 its decision to dismiss Gonzalez from service for alleged gross neglect of duty for the supposed mishandling of last year’s Manila hostage crisis, where eight tourists from Hong Kong were killed by a dismissed policeman seeking reinstatement. “The decision was well thought of, we went through the entire process and I subscribe to the findings of that whole process which necessitates his dismissal from service," President Aquino said. In a separate interview, Ricky Carandang, head of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office, said Malacañang was happy that Gonzalez brought the issue before the Supreme Court. “Alam naman natin na mula sa simula, yung sagot nila sa show cause memo natin na sa kanilang pananaw ay hindi sila dapat managot sa OP despite the Ombudsman Act section 8.2 that clearly said that," he said. (We all know that ever since, they have denied that they should be held liable to the Office of the President despite what is clearly stated in Ombudsman Act Section 8.2.) He said Section 8.2 of the Ombudsman Act states that the Office of the President has the power to sanction or subject to disciplinary action the prosecutors of the Office of the Ombudsman. “Alam naman natin na ultimately, mapupunta ito sa korte so we’re happy to see na nasa korte na to ngayon, mare-resolve yung issue kung may poder ang OP na i-sanction yung mga deputy ombudsman at mga prosecutors," he said. (We know that ultimately this will reach the courts, and we’re happy now that it has finally reached the courts as the issue on whether or not the OP has the right to sanction the deputy Ombudsman and the prosecutors will be resolved.) “We will do according to the legal process which we have always followed. We will follow the process," Carandang added. - KBK, GMA News