Palace insists: Let complaints vs cops, soldiers be addressed to President

Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella FILE PHOTO / MALACANANG

Malacañang insisted Saturday that investigations against police and military officials should be addressed to President Rodrigo Duterte, being the country’s Commander-in-chief.

Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella issued the statement a day after Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales bristled at Duterte’s call for the Ombudsman to seek clearance first from him before investigating his men.

“I will not allow my men to go there to be investigated. Human Rights Commission, you address your request through me because the Armed Forces is under me and the police is under me. That’s why if you have to question them for investigation, they will have to go over me,” he said in mix English and Filipino during a press conference after his State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday.

READ: Duterte to CHR, Ombudsman: Tell me before you probe cop or soldier

“And for the Ombudsman to refrain from citing them in contempt. For what? Because I have the authority to give the final say whether they will attend or not,” he added.

But a defiant Morales said the President has no business interfering with the mandate of the Office of the Ombudsman.

The Ombudsman is tasked to investigate and prosecute government officials accused of crimes, particularly graft and corruption.

“The Executive recognizes and respects the constitutional mandate of the Ombudsman to investigate public officials,” Abella said.

“The President requests that investigations of members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) related to the performance of their duties in the government’s anti-drug campaign or while Mindanao is under martial law be addressed to him,” he added.

The Palace official said Duterte “assumes command responsibility for the actions of his men as Commander-in-chief or Chief Executive.”

The Commission on Human Rights and the Office of the Ombudsman both earned the ire of Duterte for criticizing his brutal war on drugs and for “goading people to kill.” JPV