NILINAW ng Kamara de Representantes nitong Biyernes na wala itong isinampang reklamo laban kay Vice President Sara Duterte sa Office of the Ombudsman kaugnay ng mga isyung plunder, technical malversation at korapsyon.

Ito’y kasunod ng lumutang na ulat na pinagsusumite si VP Duterte at ilang opisyal ng counter-affidavit matapos umanong aksyunan ng Ombudsman ang mga nasabing reklamo.

“We have not received a copy of the said order to file a counter-affidavit. Ako, personally, I’ve learned about it through the reports, and I’ve seen it on social media,” pahayag ni House spokesperson Atty. Princess Abante.

Ayon sa kanya, ang Kamara—o maging ang Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability—ay hindi naghain ng pormal na reklamo, kundi nagpadala lang ng kanilang committee report sa Ombudsman.

“What I know is that the House or the Committee (on Good Government and Public Accountability) itself did not file any complaint, but it appears that the Ombudsman acted upon the recommendation of the committee,” dagdag ni Abante.

Ang hakbang ng Ombudsman ay kasunod ng pag-adopt ng Kamara sa committee findings at rekomendasyon kaugnay ng umano’y maling paggamit ng confidential funds ng Office of the Vice President at Department of Education noong pinamumunuan pa ito ni Duterte.

“The plenary adopted the report of the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability on June 10. And the committee report was furnished to the Ombudsman… they received it on June 16,” paliwanag ni Abante.

“So, it appears that the Ombudsman acted upon the recommendation of the committee.”

Nang tanungin kung ang House committee nga ba ang itinuturing na complainant, sagot ni Abante, “Doon sa heading ng nakita ko, nakalagay committee eh. I still have to read about it and review my limited knowledge of the legal processes. Pero I will get back to you on that.”

Nilinaw rin niya na may kapangyarihan ang Ombudsman na magsagawa ng sariling imbestigasyon, batay sa sarili nitong inisyatibo o sa rekomendasyon ng ibang ahensya gaya ng Kamara.

“The action of the Ombudsman was upon the recommendation of a committee report from the House of Representatives,” aniya.

“(The) Ombudsman can initiate investigations or their own. So, again it was an initiative of the Ombudsman acting upon the recommendation of the House committee,” dagdag niya.

Nang usisain kung paano ginamit ang lengguwahe sa utos ng Ombudsman, ani Abante:

“It is stated, I read it doon sa reports that it is stated in the order to file a counter affidavit that it was acting on the recommendation of the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability.”

Kaugnay nito, tila nalito rin si Abante sa ginamit na heading sa dokumento ng Ombudsman.

“Yun yung heading nga yon eh, kung meron naging complaint na fi-nile ang Committee, wala po akong pagkakaalam na may complaint na fi-nile,” saad niya.

“Ang meron po kaming pinadala sa Ombudsman ay ‘yung pag-furnish sa Ombudsman nung Committee Report na na-adopt ng Plenary nung huling 19th Congress. So, the heading may state that way, but the body states otherwise that it was the Ombudsman acting on the recommendation of the committee,” dagdag pa niya.

Tinanong kung may pangamba bang baka i-dismiss ng Ombudsman ang findings ng Kamara bago umusad ang impeachment trial sa Senado, iginiit ni Abante ang integridad ng rekomendasyon ng komite.

“The recommendation of the committee, naniniwala din naman ako na nung naglabas sila ng recommendation na yun ay meron silang sufficient evidence to make that recommendation from the hearings that they conducted. So, I will leave it at that,” sabi pa niya.

“Again, wala pa kaming kopya ng order so hindi ko rin masasagot yung ibang matters tungkol doon sa issue ng Ombudsman,” pagtatapos ni Abante.