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PARA bigyan ng linaw ang mga paratang na ipinupukol laban kay Vice President Sara Duterte, target ng Kamara isalang sa pagdinig ng House Justice Committee ang dating Deputy Ombudsman sa panahon ng nakalipas na administrasyon.
Partikular na tinukoy ni Deputy Speaker at La Union 1st District Rep. Paolo Ortega V na ipatawag sa Kamara si former Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Arthur Carandang.
Ayon kay Ortega, pangunahing bubusisiin kay Carandang ang usapin sa umano’y hindi tamang pagdedeklara ng bise presidente ng Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) at pagkakaroon ng “unexplained wealth.”
“Former Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Arthur Carandang was directly involved in high-level investigations that required examining bank transaction records, including those obtained from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) in connection with the financial transactions of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and accounts reportedly linked to members of his family, including VP Sara,” wika ng ranking House official.
“His experience in handling those kinds of financial documents can help the committee better understand how investigators evaluate bank records alongside SALN disclosures,” dagdag niya.
Mula taong 2013 hanggang 2019 nang manungkulan si Carandang bilang Overall Deputy Ombudsman na responsable sa mga tinatawag na “major corruption investigations” sa Office of the Ombudsman.
Noong 2017, napukaw ang atensyon ng publiko kay Carandang matapos niyang kumpirmahin na nakakuha ang Ombudsman ng bank transaction records ni dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte at mga miyembro ng pamilya ng huli mula sa Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) bilang bahagi ng imbestigasyon sa plunder complaint na inihain ni Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV.
Giit ni Ortega, isa sa endorsers ng 4th impeachment complaint laban sa pangalawang pangulo, magpapalakas sa fact-find works ng House justice committee ang expert testimony ng mga opisyal na humawak sa high-level corruption investigations.
“Financial investigations are technical. They involve examining asset declarations, financial documents and bank records. Someone with experience in conducting these investigations can help the committee understand how such evidence is evaluated,” aniya.
Sa ilalim ng 4th impeachment complaint, partikular na pinaratangan ang bise presidente ng graft and corruption, bribery, procurement irregularities, unexplained wealth, at omissions o misdeclarations ng SALN nito.
Una nang idineklara ng House panel na ang 3rd at 4th impeachment complaint na “sufficient in form and substance.” (ROMER R. BUTUYAN)
