MANILA — Malacañang on Friday expressed hope that its dismissal order against Overall Deputy Ombudsman Arthur Carandang will be “executed” immediately by new Ombudsman Samuel Martires.
“It’s immediately executory and we would want to see that the order (will) be implemented immediately as soon as the new Ombudsman takes his oath,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press briefing in Malaybalay, Bukidnon.
Last July 30, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea dismissed Carandang from service after he was found liable for graft and corruption, and betrayal of public trust.
Carandang alleged that President Rodrigo Duterte and his family have accumulated ill-gotten wealth amounting to billions of pesos, based on bank transaction records from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).
Roque said the AMLC had later confirmed that the documents used by Carandang were not accurate.
“So it was really ‘tsismis’ on a matter that should have been handled on a confidential basis and I think that merits the order of dismissal,” he said.
“It’s very clear that the dismissal order is founded on both facts and laws,” he added.
Roque said it should be the Office of the President (OP) that should implement the dismissal order but “we will leave it to the incoming Ombudsman how it will be implemented”.
“We will give him the opportunity to implement that. We will await Ombudsman Martires’ assumption into his new office and we would hope that (the) decision be executed as soon as possible,” he said.
Duterte appointed Martires on July 26 to replace retired Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales.
Roque said Carandang “can avail of judicial review” if the latter disagrees with the OP’s decision. (Jelly Musico/PNA)
