A MALACANANG official said Sunday he was reviewing the possibility of asking the Supreme Court to stop the investigation of the Office of the Ombudsman on the alleged hidden wealth of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo told dzBB radio that Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Arthur Carandang violated the law when he revealed that they would be investigating the President on his alleged hidden wealth.
Panelo insisted that Duterte had already executed a bank secrecy waiver that he said proved that his alleged multi-billion-peso wealth did not exist.
“Pupunta kami sa Korte Suprema para patigilin sila,” Panelo said.
“Alam mo ang nire-react ng Presidente kasi itong si Carandang, kasi … lumabag siya sa ating batas. Ang batas kasi hindi ka pupwedeng maglabas ng mga investigatory records ‘pag meron kang iniimbestiga, kasi sisirain mo yung chance ng respondent to a fair trial, nakasisira ka ng imahen.”
Panelo said the Ombudsman could not sue a sitting President due to his immunity, though it might affect his efficiency in doing his duties.
He cited the doctrine on immunity from suit of a sitting President.
“Alam mo yung Section 22 ng Republic Act 6770, sinasabi doon na meron silang power to investigate sa mga impeachable officers, itong provision na ito ay labag sa doktrina na immunity from suit ng Presidente kasi meron tayong doktrina na you cannot sue a sitting Presidente…because sisirain mo yung kanyang efficiency pati yung oras niya, gagawin niya ipagtatanggol niya yung sarili niya,” Panelo said.
“Gaya ng nangyayari ngayon, siniraan nila ang Presidente, ngayon nagpupwersa siya na ipagtanggol ang sarili niya kahit nagko-concentrate siya sa maraming problema ng bayan.”
All these have prompted Duterte’s camp to look into the possibility of seeking the help of the Supreme Court.
Carandang said he had been authorized by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales to act on the complaint of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and had already requested the Anti-Money Laundering Council for a final validation on the bank transaction records of the first family.