The Ombudsman is investigating two of the most prominent figures in Philippine politics these days – President Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Leila de Lima.
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales revealed on Friday night that she ordered a fact-finding probe into Senator de Lima’s involvement in the illegal drugs trade.
They started the probe after Albuera, Leyte Police Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido filed a complaint against the senator, whom he accused of receiving drug protection money from confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa.
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Morales’ announcement at the sidelines of the UP College of Law alumni homecoming on Friday after she said last month that the antigraft agency was not inclined to investigate de Lima due to the lack of leads even after the House probe that had New Bilibid Prison inmates and former Justice employees hurling accusations at de Lima.
On the other hand, Morales revealed during the same UP event on Friday that her office will continue probing into President Duterte despite his presidential immunity, based on Senator Antonio Trillanes IV’s plunder complaint against Duterte.
Trillanes has accused the President of hiring ghost employees at the Davao City Hall when he was still mayor.
According to Morales, the Ombudsman’s investigation will continue since the complaint was filed before Duterte was elected president. However, she does not know the current status of the case after she inhibited herself from it due to family ties with the President’s family. She is the First Daughter Sara Duterte’s aunt-in-law.
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The reason for the continuation of the probe?
“Under the law, even if a person has immunity or even if he is impeachable, you still continue the investigation for purposes whether there is misconduct which can be a basis of impeachment – if it amounts to the grounds for impeachment under the constitution,” Morales said.
Morales said that if investigators found Duterte liable, “there could be a basis for impeachment, if it amounts to the grounds of impeachment under the Constitution.”
Asked if the Ombudsman is going to investigate the President over allegations of extrajudicial killings, she said: “We don’t discount any possibility that we’ll spare him or indict him. We are talking about possibilities. There are many possibilities.”
Sources: (news.abs-cbn.com, newsinfo.inquirer.net, gmanetwork.com)
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