DUTERTE SEEKS OUSTER OF MORALES, SERENO
I will not be baited into abandoning my constitutional duties. If the President has charges against me, I am prepared to answer them in accordance with existing laws. I expect him to answer the charges against him in the same manner. OMBUDSMAN CONCHITA CARPIO-MORALES
President Rodrigo Duterte has warned that Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales face impeachment complaints, in an emerging faceoff with the officials.
When asked if the legal action that he backs against the two top prosecution and judiciary officials is an assault on the government’s checks and balances, Duterte told a news conference, “I did not start this ruckus.”
He said Morales’ anti-graft agency allowed the use of illegally obtained or fabricated information supposedly from the Anti-Money Laundering Council to begin an investigation into allegations Duterte kept undeclared wealth in past bank accounts.
“We will file an impeachment case against her and I would tend to believe that she was part of the conspiracy,” Duterte said. He did not offer any evidence against Morales in the televised news conference.
The Ombudsman said last week that an investigation of the allegations against the president is underway, adding it would not be intimidated by Duterte’s threat to investigate alleged corruption in the anti-graft body.
Duterte has denied any wrongdoing and said it was Morales who may have violated the law if her agency was using fabricated or illegally obtained bank records from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), a financial intelligence agency, which has denied issuing confidential bank records to the Ombudsman.
Without elaborating or offering any evidence, Duterte said Sereno did not declare some of her earnings as a lawyer in one past case. He also accused her of using expensive vehicles and staying in suites on foreign trips.
Duterte has dared Morales and Sereno to tender their resignations before Congress, where he said they should offer their financial assets for scrutiny. Both the Senate and the House are dominated by Duterte’s allies.
Morales and Sereno have denied any wrongdoing and rejected Duterte’s challenge.
“I will not be baited into abandoning my constitutional duties,” Morales said, adding she was prepared to answer any charges and expected Duterte to answer the charges against him as well.
The House justice committee yesterday found sufficient grounds to continue hearing an impeachment complaint against Sereno. The complaint cited 27 grounds for impeachment, including alleged corruption and culpable violation of the constitution.
Sereno says the complaint is totally false.