MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Ombudsman yesterday confirmed that its probe on the alleged hidden wealth of President Duterte had been “closed and terminated,” saying the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) had refused to cooperate in the probe.

“The Office of the Ombudsman confirms that the fact-finding or field investigation on the complaint filed against the President was closed and terminated on Nov. 29, 2017 after the Anti-Money Laundering Council declined to provide a report or confirmation on the requested vital data,” the ombudsman said in a press statement.

The ombudsman, however, was quick to add that the termination of the investigation “is without prejudice to the refiling of a complaint with new or additional evidence.”

The ombudsman issued the statement after Solicitor General Jose Calida, in a press conference last Tuesday, presented to the media a letter dated Feb. 12 from Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Arthur Carandang.

In his letter, Carandang confirmed that the fact-finding probe on Duterte’s alleged wealth was “closed and terminated” as of Nov. 29, 2017.

Calida, during his press conference, slammed Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales for keeping quiet on the result of her office’s fact-finding investigation.

Palace puzzled

Malacañang is also puzzled as to why the ombudsman did not immediately announce the termination of its probe on Duterte’s alleged hidden wealth.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said such announcement would have settled the controversy created by the allegations of Trillanes.

“You know, the Palace somehow feels bad. The investigation has been terminated because of lack of evidence. Why was it not announced? Why did the ombudsman not announce it so that Senator (Antonio) Trillanes would no longer repeat himself?” Roque said in a press briefing yesterday.

“The Ombudsman should have announced that due to lack of evidence, the investigation has been terminated so that the controversy about the alleged hidden wealth will die down,” he added.

Roque said critics should no longer make an issue out of Trillanes’ allegations because the ombudsman, whom he described as “far from being a friend of the President,” has ended its investigation. He said Duterte is also wondering why the ombudsman did not immediately issue a statement about the termination of the probe.

The ombudsman, in response, said it is “not obliged” to inform Duterte or the public about the investigation.

“Fact-finding investigations, under the rules, are generally confidential in nature. The office is not obliged to inform the subject of investigation about its outcome,” the ombudsman said.

The ombudsman also stressed that Morales inhibited herself from the probe as her nephew, lawyer Manases Carpio, is the husband of presidential daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.

“The Solicitor General might want to consider whether it is proper for an official who inhibited from an investigation to remain involved therein. The Ombudsman posits that it is not. In keeping therewith, the investigation was given free rein and proceeded without her intervention,” the ombudsman’s statement read.

“The Ombudsman trusts that in the conduct of fact-finding investigations, efforts are exhausted to gather evidence and to comply with pertinent internal rules,” the ombudsman added.

Carandang, in an interview last September, had said that Morales already authorized him to probe Duterte’s bank transactions when the latter was mayor of Davao City.

Carandang claimed that his office had obtained bank documents from the AMLC showing that Duterte and his family have over P1 billion worth of transactions in several banks from 2006 to 2016.

But in a statement issued after Carandang’s claim hit the headlines, the AMLC denied providing any bank records to the ombudsman. The AMLC further said it had yet to evaluate if there was ground to initiate an investigation on Duterte’s bank transactions.

The ombudsman’s fact-finding investigation stemmed from a plunder complaint filed by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV against Duterte in May 2016.

In his complaint, Trillanes alleged that Duterte, during the latter’s term as Davao City mayor, employed about 11,000 ghost workers. Trillanes said more than P2.4 billion flowed into Duterte’s bank accounts from 2006 to 2015 because of this scheme.

Late last month, Malacañang announced a 90-day suspension of Carandang for administrative offenses of grave misconduct and grave dishonesty for allegedly disclosing false information about the bank transactions of Duterte.

Morales, however, refused to implement the suspension order.

Not yet over

Meanwhile, Trillanes yesterday said the complaint he filed against Duterte before the ombudsman is not yet over and that he would be coming out with something soon to support his case.

Trillanes disputed the claim made by Calida that the ombudsman has terminated its fact-finding investigation into the alleged undeclared wealth of Duterte as alleged by Trillanes.

As far as Trillanes is concerned, the complaint was merely archived by the ombudsman and not dismissed as claimed by Calida.

“This lawyer, he should know that there is a big difference between a dismissal and an investigation that was archived,” Trillanes said.

“We’re pursuing something. They should just wait and see. Just wait for these things,” he added. – With Alexis Romero, Marvin Sy