Two lawyers on Tuesday morning filed administrative complaints against Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Arthur Carandang and Deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao Rodolfo Elman at the Office of the President in Malacañang.
Lawyers Manuelito Luna and Emilio Mallari filed graft and corruption and betrayal of public trust against Carandang.
The complainants sought the dismissal of Carandang from Office, citing he was “guilty of graft and corruption for causing any undue injury to any party, including the government, or giving any private party any unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference in the discharge of his official administrative or judicial functions through manifest partiality, and for divulging valuable information of a confidential character, acquired by his office or by him on account of his official position to unauthorized persons; and betrayal of public trust for falsely and maliciously claiming that the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) had issued a Report regarding the alleged account deposits of President Rodrigo Duterte.”
The complainants also cited the interview of Carandang with ABS-CBN anchor Henry Omaga Diaz regarding the details of Duterte’s bank records which allegedly came from the AMLC.
READ: AMLC denies releasing info on Duterte bank records
Former Representative Jacinto Paras and lawyer Manuel Luna file separate administrative complaints against Overall Ombudsman Melchor Arthur Carandang, Deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao Rodolfo Elman, and members of the Ombudsman’s fact-finding team investigating the alleged unexplained wealth of President Rodrigo Duterte. NESTOR CORRALES/INQUIRER.net
The complainants also said that Elman “deserves to be removed from Office” for violation of RA 1405 or the Bank Secrecy Law.
“Being the head of the Office of the Ombudsman-Mindanao to which the Fact-Finding Investigation Team/Field Investigation Unit assigned to conduct fact-finding of the subject accounts belongs, and having provided Carandang with information thereof – the mere possession of information relative to account deposits and transactions related thereto, is in itself a violation of the law – in violation of RA 1405 or the Bank Secrecy Law, Deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao Rodolfo M. Elman deserves to be removed from office,” the complainants said.
Members of the fact-finding investigating unit assigned on the case were also charged, citing “their mere possession of documents or records thereof is sufficient enough to warrant their dismissal for gross misconduct.”
A separate complaint was also filed against Carandang for “committing grave misconduct and gross dishonesty constituting betrayal of public trust, violation of the anti-graft and corrupt practices act and the code of conduct and ethical standards of public officials and employees.
The complaint was filed by former Representative Jacinto Paras and lawyer Glenn Chong.
The Ombudsman had earlier said it was investigating the alleged unexplained wealth of Duterte, which supposedly amounts to millions.
READ: Ombudsman probes Duterte family’s wealth
Ombudsman Chairman Conchita Carpio-Morales has authorized 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 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. /idl