Hinamon ni Special Prosecutor Wendell Barreras-Sulit ng Office of the Ombudsman si Rep. Harry Roque na pangalanan ang mga umano’y tiwaling opisyal ng ahensiya na “binabayaran” upang ilaglag ang mga hinahawakan nilang kasong nakasampa sa Sandiganbayan.
Pinalalantad din ni Sulit si Roque at tukuyin ang mga miyembro ng Office of the Special Prosecutors (OSP) na aniya ay “nalalagyan na nagreresulta sa pagkakabasura ng mga isinampa nilang kaso sa anti-graft court.”
“We, at the OSP, register our vehement objection to this unfounded and libelous statement as if he has personal knowledge of the ‘bribery’ which Harry Roque claims is going on in the Office of the Special Prosecutor. We challenge him to come out with the names of the Prosecutors who are tainted with this despicable reputation in order to clear those who have guarded their character with such high standard of morality and integrity worthy of emulation,” hamon ni Sulit kay Roque.
Ayon kay Sulit, naglabas ng pahayag ang (OSP) bilang reaksiyon sa pagbibigay ni Roque ng panayam sa isang programa sa radyo kamakailan na binanggit nito na isa sa mga rason ng pagkakabasura ng mga hawak nilang kaso ay ang “lagayan” sa anti-graft agency.
Ang Office of the Special Prosecutor ang prosecutorial arm ng Ombudsman, na umuusig sa mga kasong katiwalian na isinasampa sa Sandiganbayan laban sa matataas na opisyal ng gobyerno.
“We, at the OSP, register our vehement objection to this unfounded and libelous statement as if he has personal knowledge of the ‘bribery’ which Harry Roque claims is going on in the Office of the Special Prosecutor,” pagdidiin ni Sulit.
Mataas aniya ang conviction rating ng Ombudsman noong nakalipas na taon na aabot sa 70 porsiyento.
“We have maintained the highest degree of competency in the preparation of our cases for trial. Sad to state however that we are not in full control of the outcome of the verdict. Even if our cases ended up in acquittal or dismissal, no one can, and should claim that we were ‘paid’ to drop our cases. We fought to the end, God is our witness,” pagtatanggol pa ni Sulit. (Rommel P. Tabbad)