NAAWAN, Misamis Oriental (MindaNews / 24 October) – Slow as it is, the wheel of justice is, nonetheless, moving, and is catching up with those flying swiftly with impunity.

It is tragically ironic that a politician, who has run as a lawmaker, taking the banner of a crusader against corruption, is deeply embroiled in corruption himself. This is the unfortunate plight of former CIBAC (Citizens Battle against Corruption) representative Joel Villanueva, now a sitting senator of the Republic.

Villanueva is also currently gasping over corruption charges regarding the flood control mitigation mess in his home province.

Former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales found Vilanueva guilty of grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, and conduct prejudicial to the interest of the service over the alleged misuse of his P10-million pork barrel fund as a CIBAC partylist lawmaker in 2008.

For an unknown reason, Morales’ successor Samuel Martires, reversed her decision and set Vilanueva free.

Isn’t former Ombudsman Martires accountable for dismissing the corruption (pork barrel) case of Senator Joel Villanueva secretly, that is, without making public the reason for its dismissal? His act is pure dereliction of duty and abuse of discretion.

The Office of the Ombudsman investigates complaints related to dereliction of duty and abuse of discretion.

Public officials found guilty of these administrative offenses may face penalties ranging from suspension to dismissal from service.

But what are likely the penalties for administrative offenses for those who are already out of the service?

Can an Ombudsman run after public officials who are already out of the service, who can no longer be meted out of suspension or dismissed from the service if found guilty?

Can the incumbent Ombudsman run after the former Ombudsman?

On the other hand, it appears that there is no legal impediment for Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla to reverse the decision of his immediate predecessor and revive the case of Villanueva by asking the Senate to finally resolve it. It should be noted that the Senate did not implement the Ombudsman order, adopting the opinion of its legal counsel that members of Congress are exempt from its administrative authority.

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said Thursday he would ask Senate President Vicente Sotto III to enforce a 2016 dismissal order of the anti-graft office against Sen. Joel Villanueva.

Remulla said he believes the 9-year-old dismissal order against Villanueva was “enforceable immediately” through a letter containing the decision, which he noted should be implemented by the Senate president.

“We will try to enforce it now, we will write a letter to the Senate president, ask him to enforce a letter that was supposed to have been sent long ago, and ask him now to enforce that order,” he said.

Remulla is supposed to hand said letter to SP Sotto today, Friday, 24 September.

(MindaViews is the opinion section of MindaNews. William R. Adan, Ph.D., is retired professor and former chancellor of Mindanao State University at Naawan, Misamis Oriental.)