Duterte son cleared from smuggling raps
THE OFFICE of the Ombudsman in a statement Wednesday said it has cleared former Davao City Vice-Mayor Paolo Z. Duterte as well as lawyer Manases R. Carpio, from charges in connection with illegal drugs worth P6.4-billion drug smuggled in May last year.
The presidential son and his brotherin- law, Mr. Carpio, were dragged into that controversy after they were named in a Senate inquiry in which they were eventually obliged to take part in September last year. Mr. Carpio is the husband of Davao Mayor Sara Z. Duterte.
On the other hand, the Special Panel of Fact-Finding Investigators recommended the filing of criminal charges against former Bureau of Customs (BoC) Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon, Import Assessment Service (IAS) Director Milo Maestrecampo, Risk Management Office (RMO) Chief Larribert Hilario and Accounts Management Office (AMO) Chief Mary Grace TecsonMalabed, for violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti- Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act No. 3019).
The panel also recommended the filing of administrative charges of Grave Misconduct against Mr. Faeldon and BoC officials Joel Pinawin and Oliver Valiente, as well as Gross Neglect of Duty and Grave Misconduct against Ms. Tecson- Malabed and Mr. Maestrecampo.
Mr. Faeldon was further slapped with additional charges of Usurpation of Official Functions (Article 177 of the Revised Penal Code), violation of Section 32 of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 ( Republic Act No. 9165), and violation of Section 3(a) of the anti-graft law.
BoC Director Neil Anthony Estrella was also charged with violation of Section 3(a), the Ombudsman said in its statement.
The statement noted that Ombudsman Conchita Carpio- Morales took no part in the fact- finding investigation. Ms. Morales is an aunt of Mr. Carpio.
Preliminary investigation is underway on the criminal and administrative charges.