Malacañang on Thursday said President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. believes that public officials accused of criminal acts should be investigated and held accountable, as the Palace weighed in on the filing of charges against Vice President Sara Duterte.
During a press briefing, Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro was asked about the plunder, malversation, and graft complaint lodged against Duterte before the Office of the Ombudsman over the alleged misuse of billions in confidential and public funds.
“Ah, wala pong napag-uusapan patungkol po sa anumang kaso na naisampa sa Bise Presidente but ang Pangulo naman po natin ay naniniwala sa kakayahan ng Ombudsman at naniniwala sa katotohanan–muli, kung sino iyong dapat na managot ay dapat na managot,” Castro said.
“So, kung may katotohanan ang mga akusasyon laban sa isang opisyal, dapat lamang po itong maimbestigahan,” she added.
The complaint covers Duterte’s actions during her tenure as vice mayor and later mayor of Davao City, as well as her current role as Vice President and Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd).
Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and the civil society group The Silent Majority filed the complaint on Wednesday. Trillanes argued that Duterte’s popularity made the filing of the case crucial, claiming her public approval was built on falsehoods.
“The principle of holding the highest officers of the land, including the President and the Vice President, to the highest possible standards is of imperative necessity. It is obvious that Respondent’s actions, and those of her family members, if shown to be true, are clearly incompatible with allowing her to continue holding the Office of the Vice President of the Republic,” the complaint read.
The document also pointed out Duterte’s repeated refusal to explain how her office spent taxpayer money, including confidential funds, saying she should not be allowed to evade accountability.