The story of the day is the aggression against the Ombudsman Pedro Pablo Ulloa and media by traffic agents (Digesett) based at the Canódromo, the former dog racing venture today used for the storing of seized vehicles and motorcycles. As reported, the director of the Ombudsman Office and media from the Listin Diario newspaper and CDN (Channel 37) made an unannounced inspection visit to El Coco Vehicle Retention Center (El Canódromo) on 11 April. They went to see for themselves the denounced excessive amount of “junk” vehicles at the site. The Ombudsman had received numerous reports of citizens regarding the handling of their vehicles once they were sent to that center. When visiting the center, the public officer and his assistant and the media were violently impeded to do their job by the Digesett contingent at the site.
As a result of the action, the director of Digesett, Ramón Guzmán Peralta ordered Colonel Ysabelita de los Santos Perez’s immediate suspension as director of the vehicle retention site. He ordered an investigation into the occurrence. Lieutenant Colonel Hipólito Antonio Rijo Santana replaces her. Guzmán Peralta said the incident occurred because the visit was not announced.
Yet in the press release announcing the suspension of Colonel De los Santos Perez, Digesett expresses its respect for the freedom of the press since they are a guarantor of the transparency in which public servants must exercise their roles.
Meanwhile, Ombudsman Pablo Ulloa filed a complaint on the incident to the Attorney General Office (PGR). “It is really a shame to see how an authority goes overboard in reacting to citizens. If that is how they react to a constitutional body and a law that confers the inspection attribution to this ombudsman body what will it be to normal and ordinary Dominican citizens,” he questioned upon his arrival at the PGR to place the claim. Ulloa clarified that he and his team presented themselves at the Canódromo complying with the due process, which calls for them to identify themselves.
The Ombudsman is an autonomous public entity of constitutional rank, created by Ombusman Law No. 19-01. According to this law, the Ombudsman is not required to notify in advance the visits to public offices.
The Ombudsman is an independent authority, an executor who is not subject to any limitation other than that of adherence to the law.
According to Article 3 of the law that creates the Ombudsman Office, the body may “inspect public offices and those entities providing public services, without prior notice, and require from them all the documents and information necessary to carry out its work, which will be provided free of charge.”
Read more in Spanish:
El Caribe
Listin Diario
12 April 2022