The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) on Thursday said it has no intention to encroach the jurisdiction of the Office of the Ombudsman following a call to abolish the former.
During a Senate hearing on the agency’s budget for 2023, ARTA officer-in-charge Undersecretary Ernesto Perez said they had written to Samuel Martires to explain the concern.
“We have also written to him seeking a courtesy call that we have no intention at all on encroaching on the jurisdiction or powers of the Ombudsman,” Perez said.
“In fact, we said, we emphasized that we are just assisting the Ombudsman in view of the mandate of ARTA under Republic Act No. 11032 which is to implement the national policy on anti-red tape,” he added.
In September, Martires said that his office will ask Congress to amend or abolish the ARTA law, saying it is an unconstitutional law that “usurps or encroaches upon the powers of the Ombudsman.”
“The Office of the Ombudsman would appreciate if Congress can amend or repeal the ARTA law, which is an unconstitutional law as it usurps or encroaches upon the powers of the Ombudsman,” Martires said.
According to Perez, if a government employee receiving a Salary Grade 26 and below committed an administrative violation, ARTA will recommend the case to the Civil Service Commission (CSC).
If an employee with Salary Grade 27 or higher or a presidential appointee committed a criminal and administrative violation, ARTA will forward the case to the Ombudsman.
In May 2018, then-President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 11032, or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018, which amended the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007.—AOL, GMA News
ARTA denies encroaching Ombudsman’s power amid call for abolition
Source: Balita News
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