(Eagle News) — Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Arthur Carandang, Deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao Rodolfo Elman and several others face administrative charges for alleged graft and corruption and betrayal of public trust, among others.
The charges were filed separately by lawyers Manuelito Luna and Emilio Mallari, and by former Rep. Jacinto Paras and lawyer Glenn Chong, on Tuesday.
According to Luna and Mallari, Carandang was “guilty of graft and corruption” after he “maliciously claimed” the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) had issued a report regarding the alleged account deposits of President Rodrigo Duterte,” a claim the AMLC has already denied.
They also took him to task for “divulging valuable information of a confidential character, acquired by his office or by him on account of his official position to unauthorized persons.”
Paras and Chong, for their part, alleged Carandang committed “grave misconduct and gross dishonesty constituting betrayal of public trust,” and violated the anti-graft and corrupt practices act, and the code of conduct and ethical standards of public officials and employees.
As for Elman, who supposedly provided the information about Duterte’s bank accounts to Carandang, Luna and Mallari said he “deserves to be removed from Office” for violation of RA 1405 or the Bank Secrecy Law.
They noted that “the mere possession of information relative to account deposits and transactions related thereto, is in itself a violation of the law – in violation of RA 1405 or the Bank Secrecy Law.”
The lawyers also took to task the members of the fact-finding unit assigned to look into the President’s family wealth, noting that “their mere possession of documents or records thereof is sufficient enough to warrant their dismissal for gross misconduct.”