3 senators hit Palace’s 90-day suspension vs Ombudsman exec Carandang

Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Arthur H. Carandang –INQUIRER PHOTO/LYN RILLON

Some opposition senators condemned on Monday the filing of charges and the 90-day suspension imposed by Malacañang against Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Arthur Carandang, saying it could be an attempt to stop him from revealing the truth.

Earlier, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced the preventive suspension of Carandang for allegedly committing “grave misconduct and grave dishonesty for misuse of confidential information and disclosing false information” in relation to his agency’s investigation into the wealth of President Rodrigo Duterte and his family.

READ: Ombudsman exec suspended over release of Duterte’s alleged bank transactions

“It is critical that the Office of the Ombudsman remains independent and free from intimidation when investigating elected officials,” Senator Bam Aquino pointed out.

“Hayaan nating gawin ng Deputy Ombudsman ang kanyang trabaho na siyasatin kung mayroon ngang tagong yaman ang mga halal ng gobyerno,” he added.

(Let the Deputy Ombudsman do his job in finding out whether or not those in government have hidden wealth.)

Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, for his part, said Malacañang’s move could be taken as an attempt to prevent the truth from coming out.

“Lumilitaw na ito’y isang panggigipit lang sa isang opisyal ng pamahalaan na nagnanais lang ng transparency sa mga opisyal ng pamahalaan, lalo na kung dawit ang pinakamataas na pinuno ng gobyerno,” Pangilinan said.

(It seems that this is an act of pressuring a government official who just wants transparency among other officials in government, especially since the highest government official is involved.)

According to the letter read out by Roque during a press briefing, Carandang was “guilty of divulging valuable information of a confidential character acquired by his office or by him on account of his position.”

Hontiveros consequently asked: “How can anybody be guilty of divulging valuable information that, according to Malacañang, is fake?”

“By filing cases against Carandang, is Malacañang confirming the authenticity of the AMLC (Anti-Money Laundering Council) records?” she further asked.

Aside from the suspension, the Office of the Executive Secretary had also “formally charged” Carandang of “grave misconduct” and “grave dishonesty” for the unauthorized disclosures of the alleged bank transactions of Duterte and his family. /je