Roque dares Trillanes to go ahead and file impeach case vs. PRRD over Carandang's suspension


Senator Trillanes and Palace Spokesman Roque photofile (ctto)


Manila, Philippines – On Tuesday, Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque challenged Senator Antonio Trillanes to go ahead and file the complaint against President Rodrigo Duterte over suspension of Carandang.

Roque said that if Trillanes thinks that suspension of Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Arthur Carandang is an impeachable offense, he should go ahead.

“Go ahead, file impeachment. Do it as soon as possible and we will see you in the House (of Representatives),” Roque said in response to a statement of Trillanes.

On Monday, Carandang was formally charged by the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES) and placed under 90-day preventive suspension due to grave misconduct and dishonesty  “for misuse of confidential information and disclosing false information” over the alleged bank records of the Duterte family.

According to Trillanes, the suspension of Carandang was against the Section 5 of Article XI of the 1987 Constitution, which he said, “clearly states the independence of the Office of the Ombudsman and its Deputies.”

He added that the Supreme Court already affirmed in 2014 that the Palace has no power to serve disciplinary action to any Ombudsman deputies.

“Clearly, this is another Duterte tactic that’s meant to bully democratic institutions into submission so he could go on with his dictatorial and corrupt ways,” Trillanes said.

Roque on the other hand, insisted that the Office of the President’s jurisdiction over the Deputy Ombudsman is within the Constitution, adding that the Overall Deputy Ombudsman Carandang may seek help from any competent court.

“The OES, however, stands by its decision to formally charge and suspend Overall Deputy Ombudsman Carandang, pursuant to the President’s broad powers to discipline all non-impeachable presidential appointees,” Roque told the press.

Carandang claimed that all his documents showing the money flow from credit and debits were acquired through the AMLC, the said bank records were similar to what Trillanes allegedly obtained from the AMLC.

However, the AMLC had denied that it released any bank records of the Duterte family to either Carandang or Trillanes.

 Source: PTV News










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