MANILA – With an impeachment complaint poised against Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, a resolution has been filed at the House of Representatives to “preserve and protect the constitutional independence and integrity of the Office of the Ombudsman.”
House Resolution No. 1395 filed on October 9 was signed by 26 House members.
In the resolution, the authors stressed that the Office of the Ombudsman was created under the 1987 Constitution to act as an independent body “to serve as protectors of the people against inept, abusive and corrupt in government.”
“The framers of the Constitution intended that these independent bodies be insulated from political pressure to the extent that the absence of independence would result in the impairment of their core functions to shield it from the pressures and influence of officialdom and partisan politics and from fear of external reprisal,” it said.
Since early this year, the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) has been threatening Morales with impeachment, but it has yet to be filed formally at the House.
Lawyers Ferdinand Topacio and Jing Paras, himself a former congressman, said they have drafted the complaint, but have yet to finalize it.
A copy of the complaint has been sent to the Office of the Speaker.
President Rodrigo Duterte, in a recent statement, also said he will file an impeachment complaint against Carpio Moral for being part of a “conspiracy” to oust him and for “selective justice.”
The signtories are listed below:
Rep. Bolet Banal, Quezon City
Rep. Miro Quimbo, Marikina
Rep. Raul del Mar, Cebu
Rep. Ma. Lourdes Acosta-Alba, Bukidnon
Rep. Emmanuel Billones, Capiz
Rep. Kaka Bag-ao, Dinagat Island
Rep. Kit Belmonte, Quezon City
Rep. Gabriel Bordado, Camarines Sur
Rep. Christopher De Venecia, Pangasinan
Rep. Edgar Erice, Caloocan
Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento, Samar
Rep. Edcel Lagman, Albay
Rep. Tom Villarin, Akbayan
Rep. Isagani Amatong, Zamboanga del Norte
Rep. Vicente Alcala, Quezon
Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto, Lipa City
Rep. Josephine Ramirez- Sato, Occidental Mindoro
Rep. Cheryl Deloso-Montalla, Zambales
Rep. Benjie Agarao, Laguna
Rep. Strike Revilla, Cavite
Rep. Rene Relampagos, Bohol
Rep. Jocelyn Limkaichong, Negros Oriental
Rep. Rav Rocamora, Siquijor
Rep. Lawrence Fortun, Agusan del Norte
Rep. Francis Gerald Abaya, Cavite
Rep. Raul Daza, Northern Samar
