Update: The office of the Ombudsman is defying the President’s order and said it will not implement the dismissal of Gonzales because they have conducted their internal investigation and have cleared Gonzalez of any wrong doing.
Here’s the 15-page decision from the Office of the Executive Secretary: OP decision on Gonzalez
This is a press release from the Office of Executive Secretary Paquito “Jojo” Ochoa , who headed the panel that reviewed the recommendation of the Investigation and Review Committee headed by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima that headed the investigation of the Aug. 23 tragedy.
We hope Gonzalez is just the first of those that will be hold accountable for the fiasco that cost the lives of 8 Hongkong nationals and a series of blunders in the country’s relations with China.We are waiting what the government will do with Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, DILG Undersecretary Rico Puno and former PNP Chief Jesus Verzosa. They too were negligent of their duties.
Deputy Ombudsman Emilio Gonzalez III has been dismissed by the Office of the President (OP) for gross neglect of duty and gross misconduct in handling the dismissal complaint against hostage-taker former P/Sr. Insp. Rolando Mendoza, on recommendation of Palace lawyers who reviewed the findings of the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC).