Ombudsman rejects Guanzon's bid to dismiss graft charges

Lawyer Ferdinand Topacio welcomed the Ombudsman’s decision affirming the corruption charges filed against former election commissioner Rowena Guanzon for prematurely disclosing confidential information regarding the disqualification cases against then-presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

"We are elated that the last legal obstacle to the trial of the criminal cases against Ms. Rowena Guanzon has been hurdled and that the cases will finally be given due course in a court of law," said Topacio, national chair of the Citizens Crime Watch, who sued Guanzon before the Ombudsman. 

In July 2023, the Ombudsman found probable cause to indict Guanzon on two counts of violating Section 3(k) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (RA 3019), a ruling challenged by Guanzon through a motion for reconsideration.

Guazon asserted that the Ombudsman holds no jurisdiction over her case given that she had already retired from the government and was presumed a private citizen when the case was filed in May last year.

Furthermore, she stressed that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has no internal rule that prohibits the naming of the ponente and that the alleged disclosed information was legally and institutionally considered confidential.

The Ombudsman, however, junked her appeal on the grounds that she did not "raise any new or substantial legitimate ground or reason to justify the reconsideration sought" as the same were already sufficiently considered in the July resolution.

Topacio and his group accused Guazon of violating the anti-graft law, among others, for allegedly disclosing confidential details relating to the disqualification of Marcos in the 2022 polls pending before the Comelec First Division, where Guanzon served as the presiding commissioner.

They alleged that Guanzon exposed in a television interview that she had voted to grant the petitions to disqualify Marcos from the presidential race and that her fellow commissioner, Aimee Ferolino, was the ponente of the case.

Topacio said the Ombudsman's decision should "send a strong signal" to those in the government service that they are not above the law, regardless of their position.

"We look forward to prosecuting these cases for the good of the public and in consonance with the advocacy of the Citizens Crime Watch to fight corruption whenever it rears its ugly head," he emphasized. 

Guanzon, however, stressed that she would contest the "baseless accusations" of Topacio and his team. 

"It is unfortunate that instead of running after truly corrupt officials… the Ombudsman has chosen to give oxygen to a patently baseless complaint that was filed to harass and vex me into silence," Guanzon said.

Nevertheless, she remains determined to fight for integrity, transparency, and public accountability before the courts.