Ombudsman Samuel Martires on Sunday clarified that there is no bad blood with the Department of Justice (DOJ) in line with the investigation of Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged threats, saying that his previous remark was used without the “qualifier.”
“Hindi man kami nakikipag away (sa DOJ). Nasaktan lang kami na parang pinangungunahan kami. Sabi ko nga disinformation. Sinasabi sa publiko na ‘uy may power ang Ombudsman [kaya] dapat mag imbestiga din sila sa sinabi ni Vice President,’” Martires said in an interview with Super Radyo DzBB.
(We are not arguing with the DOJ. We just felt like we were being led on, which I said was disinformation. It’s like telling the public that the Ombudsman has this power so they should investigate the Vice President’s statements.)
DOJ Undersecretary Jesse Andres had said the Ombudsman had the authority to discipline and investigate government officials in the context of Duterte’s alleged threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
In a video, the Vice President said she would have Marcos, the First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez assassinated if she were killed.
In response, Martires said he has yet to find anything that the Ombudsman could investigate.
“May qualifier,” Martires told DzBB as he repeated his previous remark.
“If in the opinion of Usec. Andres we have that power, then I would advise Usec. Andres to shut up. Even if the NBI is now investigating the acts of the Vice President, we can take over the jurisdiction,” Martires said.
He reiterated that the Ombudsman could investigate if the threats were made in the course of Duterte’s duties as Vice President.
Martires said the jurisdiction of the Ombudsman is to investigate cases related to anti-graft practices and all offenses under the revised penal code relating to RA 3019 and offenses committed in relation to office.
“Nandito sa particular threat na ito, are these appearances done in relation to her office as vice president? Kaya lang naman kami nag react. Wala naman masamang ibig sabihin,” Martires told DzBB.
(It is this particular threat, are these appearances done in relation to her office as vice president? This is why we reacted. There’s nothing wrong with it.)
Andres had said he reached out to Martires and said there was no problem.
“May nag sabi na sa akin na gusto ako makausap (ni Andres), eh ako naman hindi ako nagtatanim ng galit at hindi ako galit sa kanya,” Martires said. “Kami lang ay nabahala lang na ‘uy bakit mo sinsabi may jurisdiction kami.’”
(Someone told me Andres wanted to talk to me. As for me, I’m not harboring any ill feelings and I am not mad at him. We were just concerned that he’s saying the investigation is under our investigation.)
‘Doing my job’
Martires also addressed the allegations that he’s favoring the Vice President because her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, appointed him.
He said when he was appointed in 2018, Duterte told him to “just do what you think is right” and “not to babysit my men.”
“Anong sinabi nila appointee ako ni Digong. Totoong appointee ako, appointee din yung ibang deputy, pero ginagawa lang namin yung aming trabaho. Nagsisilbi kami sa taong bayan sa abot ng aming kakayahan. So, napaunfair naman ng ganung statement kasi hindi lang sa aming mag aapply yun, pati sa mga susunod na Ombudsman,” Martires said.
“Kahit nila tingnan yung aking record, walang sinuman nag endorso sa akin kay Digong ng ako’y mag apply sa Supreme Court,” he added.
(They’re saying I’m an appointee of the elder Duterte. Yes, I am and so are the other deputies, but we’re just doing our job. We’re serving our countrymen to the best of our ability. So, such a statement is unfair because it does not only apply to us but also to the future Ombudsmen. They may check my record. No one endorsed me to the elder Duterte when I applied to the Supreme Court.) — Mariel Celine Serquiña/BAP, GMA Integrated News
Be the first to comment