Sara Duterte welcomes Ombudsman probe into family’s wealth

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Presidential daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio said on Thursday, September 28, she welcomes the Ombudsman’s investigation into her family’s wealth.

“I welcome it so that we can finally answer all accusations in the proper venue,” Duterte said in a statement.

Duterte, also mayor of Davao City, gave this comment after the Ombudsman said it had found basis to start an investigation into the assets of the President’s family based on the complaint of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

In May 2016, Trillanes filed a plunder complaint against the President, alleging he had a P2.4-billion deposit, which could have possibly come from a scheme of hiring ghost employees in Davao City when he was mayor. (READ: COA questions Duterte’s 11,000 contractual workers)

The Ombudsman said bank transactions of the President and his family through the years show that a total of more than P1 billion had been deposited and withdrawn. 

In August, the Ombudsman asked the Anti-Money Laundering Council to do an inquiry and submit a report on the alleged Duterte bank accounts.

Malacañang said Duterte has “nothing to hide” and that the President respects the internal processes of the Ombudsman as an independent body. – Rappler.com