(Eagle News) – Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Carandang has been formally charged with grave misconduct and grave dishonesty, and has been placed under a 90-day preventive suspension for leaking alleged bank documents that had been denied by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC)
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque announced this in a press conference on Monday, January 29, in connection to his action of releasing alleged bank documents concerning supposed accounts of President Rodrigo Duterte.
These allegedly came from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) although the AMLC denied ever releasing such documents.
The AMLC said that Carandang had requested to look into the bank records of the President and his family, in his letter request dated September 6 last year.
“We have yet to evaluate the request, and the initiation of an investigation as well as the release of any report on the subject will depend on such evaluation.”
Ombudsman Chairman Conchita Carpio-Morales had earlier authorized Carandang to “handle the cases” involving the President’s family.
Carandang has been given 10 days to explain why he should not be suspended.
Last year, he had been quoted as saying that he had in his possession alleged bank records of Duterte provided supposedly by AMLC.
Carandang claimed on September 28 that based on these records, Duterte – from 2006 to 2016 – had millions of pesos transacted in joint accounts with his children.
AMLC had immediately denied ever releasing any bank record connected to the Duterte family’s bank accounts.
