QUEZON CITY, Philippines (Eagle News) — Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales has expressed her readiness to investigate President Rodrigo Duterte on the alleged extra-judicial killings connected with the President’s campaign against drugs.
Morales also said that it is within the ambit of the powers of the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate government personalities even if they have immunity from suit
“For purposes of determining whether there is misconduct, which can be a basis of impeachment if it amounts to the grounds of impeachment under the constitution. Everything is possible; we don’t discount any possibility that you spare him or indict him,” Morales said.
Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar refused to comment on the Ombudsman’s statements.
Morales had said that she would inhibit from cases involving Duterte since she is the aunt-in-law of Duterte’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, married to Atty. Manases Carpio, who is the Ombudsman’s nephew.
Duterte also has a pending plunder case with the Office of the Ombudsman filed by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV before the May 9, 2016 elections.
Trillanes accused Duterte of having ghost employees in the Davao City government’s payroll when he was still the mayor.
Before she was interviewed, Morales spoke out against extrajudicial killings in her speech at the reunion of the UP College of Law on Friday.
She said that the public should be concerned with government leaders promote, rather than condemn human rights violations.
“When leaders seem to send the message of promoting rather than condemning reprehensible acts that transgress basic human rights, the people ought to be concerned about it, rather than cheering for it either out of sheer ignorance, callous conscience, blind loyalty or gorgonized fanaticism,” she said.