Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 27) — The ombudsman who conducted an investigation on the alleged ill-gotten wealth of the President Rodrigo Duterte has been fired.
This was confirmed to CNN Philippines by two reliable sources at the Office of the Ombudsman, who said that Malacañang’s order to dismiss Melchor Arthur Carandang took effect this June 17. Carandang appealed his dismissal but it was denied weeks ago.
The Palace ordered the dismissal of Carandang July 30 last year, after they found Carandang liable of graft and corruption, and betrayal of public trust in the conduct of his probe on the Duterte family’s wealth.
Carandang was also further penalized with cancellation of eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits, barred from taking civil service examinations, and perpetual disqualification from holding public office.
The Palace further accused the former anti-graft official with the violation of 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, for supposedly disclosing or misusing confidential information to outgoing Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, who filed a plunder complaint against Duterte during the 2016 presidential elections.
The sacked official in September 2017 said that he had obtained Duterte’s bank records from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), which amounted over P1 billion. The council denied providing these documents.
Carandang terminated the probe on November 29, 2017, stating that AMLC declined to provide the data that he requested.
