THE Office of the Ombudsman said Friday it will not be cowed by President Rodrigo Duterte's threat to investigate its officials.
"Sorry, Mr. President, but this Office shall not be intimidated," said the Ombudsman in a statement.
Duterte has warned the Ombudsman that he would create a commission to investigate its officials in the wake of the probe that the anti-graft body is also doing against Duterte and his family's alleged undeclared billions of pesos in different banks.
The Ombudsman said it "shall proceed" with the investigation against Duterte's alleged undeclared wealth as mandated by the Constitution.
"This Office, all the same, welcomes, as it has always welcomed, efforts to help it cleanse its ranks. Its Internal Affairs Board has, in fact, entrapped and removed Ombudsman officials and employees for various offenses," it said.
The Ombudsman said it also stands by its word regarding the documents in its possession, apparently referring to the bank transaction records released by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).
AMLC, in a statement on Thursday, however denied that it has released records of the bank transactions of the President and his family.
"If the President has nothing to hide, he has nothing to fear," the Ombudsman said.
Overall Deputy Ombudsman Arthur Carandang has been investigating Duterte and his family on their alleged hidden wealth following the complaint filed by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, the President's staunch critic.
The results of the investigation could be used to file impeachment complaint against Duterte. (SDR/VoxPop Philippines)