Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Arthur H. Carandang (File photo by LYN RILLON / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Malacañang has sacked Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Arthur Carandang from service for graft and corruption and betrayal of public trust.
The Office of the President’s order versus Carandang stemmed from complaints against him over disclosures to the media about some information on the alleged unexplained wealth of President Rodrigo Duterte and members of his family.
The order took note of Carandang’s interview over ABS-CBN on September 27, 2017 where he claimed that their office had obtained bank transaction records from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).
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In that interview, Carandang said they were investigating documents connected to a complaint filed by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV against Mr. Duterte before the Office of the Ombudsman.
However, the AMLC denied releasing any information on Mr. Duterte’s bank records at the time.
READ: AMLC denies releasing info on Duterte bank records
“He was clearly only interested to broadcast an information adverse to the President. His keeping mum about an information that was favorable to the President clearly amounted to manifest partiality,” the order stated.
Aside from dismissal from service, the Office of the President (OP) also ordered the cancellation of Carandang’s eligibility, his perpetual disqualification from holding public office, and forfeiture of his retirement benefits. The OP order further barred Carandang from taking civil service examinations. /kga