MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on Thursday said he is planning to file a case against the executive director of the Anti-Money Laundering Council for supposedly covering up the transaction history of President Rodrigo Duterte’s bank accounts.
“Plano ko rin pakasuhan si AMLC Exec. Dir. [Mel Georgie] Racela sa pag-cover-up at pag-deny na ang mga flagged bank transaction documents ay hindi galing sa AMLC,” Trillanes said in a statement.
He noted the provision of such documents to the Office of the Ombudsman “for intelligence purpose” was included in the minutes of an AMLC meeting in May 2016.
“Matatandaan na naitalaga lang ni Duterte si Racela sa kanyang position noong January 2017 lang kaya hindi sakop ng kanyang termino ang mga panahong ‘yun,” Trillanes said.
Last September, Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Carandang was quoted as saying that his agency received the president’s bank records from before he became president in 2006 up to 2016 from AMLC.
But AMLC denied that it had provided the Office of the Ombudsman with a report.
READ: Can the Office of the President suspend Deputy Ombudsman Carandang?
Trillanes backs ombudsman’s defiance
Moreover, Trillanes backed Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales defiance of the suspension order against Carandang which stemmed from allegations that he disclosed unverified information on the supposed multimillion bank accounts in the accounts owned by Duterte and his family.
According to the Palace, Carandang committed grave misconduct and grave dishonesty for misuse and revelation of confidential and false information.
The opposition senator called the Office of the Executive Secretary’s move a clear case of obstruction of justice.
READ: Palace suspends deputy ombudsman Carandang
“Maling-mali si Duterte dito kahit saan mo tignan. Bukod pa sa independent ang Ombudsman and her deputies, ayon sa ating Constitution, pinasuspende niya ang taong nag-iimbestiga sa mga nakaw na yaman niya,” he said.
According to Morales, the order of Medialdea’s office is “patently unconstitutional” as the Supreme Court, in its en banc decision in Gonzales III vs. Office of the President (G.R. 196231), declared as illegal the administrative disciplinary jurisdiction of the president over deputy ombudsman.
“The Ombudsman will thus not allow herself to betray her sworn duty to uphold the Constitution by recognizing what is patently unconstitutional,” a statement from the office of Morales said.
READ: Defying Palace, Ombudsman refuses to enforce Carandang's suspension