Palace on Ombudsman probe: Duterte has nothing to hide

President Duterte and Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales are shown as wedding sponsors in this file photo.

President Rodrigo Duterte has nothing to hide, Malacañang said Wednesday, as the Ombudsman said it was investigating the wealth of the Chief Executive’s family.

“The President respects the internal processes of the Ombudsman as an independent body, and trusts its impartiality in the conduct of its fact-finding duty,” Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a statement.

“The President has nothing to hide,” Abella added.

The Inquirer reported on Wednesday that the Ombudsman was looking into President Duterte’s wealth that allegedly amounts to billions of pesos.

Ombudsman Chairman Conchita Carpio-Morales has authorized Overall Deputy Ombudsman Arthur Carandang to “handle the cases” involving the President’s family.

Morales has inhibited herself from acting on any case filed against the Duterte family. Duterte’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, is married to Morales’ nephew, lawyer Manases Carpio.

Carandang said on Tuesday that his office had approved the request of the Deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao to obtain the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) final report on the Duterte family’s bank transaction records when he was still mayor Davao City mayor.

“It was Senator Trillanes who filed the complaint with us and attached the documents. The office, when it evaluated the complaint, recommended the conduct of a fact-finding [investigation],” Carandang said.

The Ombudsman acknowledged Duterte’s immunity as President, saying he could only be investigated for purposes of initiating an impeachment complaint.

Duterte had earlier said that his wealth came from the sale of real estate inherited from his father. /je