- Baste asks acting Ombudsman to inhibit from cases
ACTING Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte has formally requested Acting Ombudsman Dante Vargas to inhibit from handling the complaint filed against several high-ranking government officials.
Citing a potential conflict of interest, Duterte’s legal team filed an urgent motion on Wednesday, Sept. 17.
In a media interview outside the Ombudsman’s Mindanao office, Atty. Israelito Torreon, Duterte’s legal counsel, explained the motion’s two main points—for Vargas to inhibit himself and for all hearings to be held at the Ombudsman’s Mindanao office instead of in Manila.
Torreon alleged that Vargas’s wife is a classmate of one of the respondents, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla.
This, along with a separate claim that an order was issued to cancel the docketed complaints, raised concerns about the acting ombudsman’s impartiality.
“We are here this morning for in behalf in our client Mayor Sebastian Baste Duterte, acting mayor, who filed cases to two days ago against DILG Secretary Juan Victor Remulla, Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Eduardo Año, Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty, Police Brigadier General Rommel Francisco Marbil, Police General Nicholas Torre III, Marcos Lacanilao, Anthony Alcantara, Richard Anthony Padullon, Police Brig Gen Jean Farjado, and other John Does, for kidnapping 8 counts, arbitrary detention 8 counts, and seven other crimes,” Torreon told the media in an interview on Wednesday morning outside the Ombudsman Mindanao office.
The charges include eight counts of kidnapping, eight counts of arbitrary detention, and other related crimes.
“Acting Ombudsman Vargas may not be so impartial in the handling of this case,” he said.
Safety of witnesses
The motion also argued that holding hearings in Manila would jeopardize the safety of witnesses.
Torreon said some of the respondents are high-ranking officials who “hold control over the PNP, the Army, and all government officers.”
He said witnesses would not feel secure traveling to Manila for the proceedings.
“If the investigation will be conducted in Mindanao, at least they are safe,” he stated.
‘Forum Shopping’ allegations
Atty. Leo Delgra, another member of the legal team, said that Vargas’s alleged attempt to cancel the docketed complaints in Mindanao was a sign of his partiality.
“We are doing everything to issue the clearance in favor of the applicant Remulla,” Delgra said, referring to the Justice Secretary’s reported application to become the next Ombudsman.
“We reiterate the clearance of Remulla is just a consequence of the justice being sought by Mayor Baste Duterte, which is the kidnapping of PRRD,” he further explained.
When asked what would happen if the motion is not granted, Torreon stated, “We will file for motion for reconsideration and then if denied then we’ll go up, we’ll just use our remedies provided.”
