Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago criticized the slow disposition of cases filed with the Office of the Ombudsman, and lamented that it has failed to resolve the various Senate committee reports submitted to them.

Santiago said among these Senate committee reports are the Senate investigations on the Euro Generals, the fertilizer fund scam, the road users tax scam, and the NBN-ZTE scandal.

“The Senate investigations on corruption scandals will be futile if the Ombudsman will not act on these committee reports. The public is waiting with bated breath for the culprits to be punished,” Santiago said.

Santiago, who is still on sick leave, reiterated that the Senate itself cannot punish corrupt officials or send them to jail.

“It is the duty of the Office of the Ombudsman to act promptly on complaints filed in any form or manner against officers or employees of the government, including those in government-owned or controlled corporations. The delay in the disposition of cases submitted by the Senate to the Ombudsman is a gross injustice to the Filipino people,” Santiago said.