MANILA – The overall Deputy Ombudsman who revealed that President Rodrigo Duterte and his family could have billions of pesos in their bank accounts has been fired for good.
Department of Justice secretary Menardo Guevarra said Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Arthur Carandang was dismissed for good after the office of the President rejected his motion for reconsideration.
Carandang’s motion was dismissed as he failed to present new arguments to overturn the previous verdict regarding his betrayal of public trust and graft and corruption cases.
The office of the President earlier alleged Carandang of committing grave dishonesty for misuse of confidential information and disclosing false information, violating Section 3e of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Carandang’s violation allegedly caused “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 function through manifest partiality, evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence.”
Carandang claimed his office received records of bank transactions of Duterte and his family from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).
However, AMLC belied they were the source of the documents and information used by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV in his allegations about the unexplained wealth of the President. /PN
