Morales on serving full term as Ombudsman: I am only following the law

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales has once again rebuked President Rodrigo Duterte, this time saying she is entitled to serve a full seven-year term as the country's lead government watchdog as mandated by law.

In an interview with reporters on the sidelines of the Ramon Magsaysay Awards on Thursday, Morales cited Section 8 of the Ombudsman Act in saying she can stay in office until her retirement in July 2018 since she was appointed by former President Benigno Aquino III for the post.

"Well we are following the law, yung Ombudsman Act of 1989 Section 8 Paragraph number 3, which says that when the incumbent Ombudsman leaves the office by reason of death or removal, resignation, or permanent disability, the Deputy Ombudsman shall be the Acting Ombudsman until a new Ombudsman is appointed who shall serve for a full term," Morales said.

Morales made the remarks following the speech of Duterte who said she was holding office in a "precarious" manner since she was only supposed to serve the remaining term of her predecessor, Merceditas Gutierrez, who resigned from her post in April 2011 days before her impeachment trial.

"But sad to say, recent events show that no less than the Office of the Ombudsman, which is supposedly the embodiment of everything that is just, fair and reasonable, has not exactly lived up to its constitutional mandate," Duterte said.

Morales, a former Ramon Magsaysay awardee, had earlier chided Duterte for ordering police and military officials to seek his approval first before submitting themselves to the Ombudsman's investigations.

"Anong pakialam niya? Under the law we have subpoena powers. We have orders for particular officials, including police and soldiers, to show up or to file pleadings," Morales.

In his post-State of the Nation Address press conference, Duterte said the Ombudsman and the Commission on Human Rights should inform him first before investigating any government law enforcer accused of violating the law.

But Morales said there was no law which requires security officials to report first to their commander in chief about any investigation. — MDM/KVD, GMA News