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Ombudsman denies being ‘used’ by Palace

by Jon Carlos Rodriguez, ABS-CBNnews.com

'Yes, I have a clear conscience."
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales on Friday denied the allegations made by Chief Justice Renato Corona that she was “used” by Malacañang to present documents from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) regarding the chief justice’s dollar accounts.

“I was never ever used by Malacañang,” Carpio-Morales told reporters in a press conference.

“Hindi ako magpapagamit. I have been trying to be impartial. I have been trying to be fair. I have been trying to be impervious to influence and I’d like to believe I succeeded,” she said.

Carpio-Morales said she felt “maligned” by Corona’s statements against her, adding that she will let the public judge who between them is telling the truth.

“He asked me if I have a conscience. Yes, I have a clear conscience. I hope he has a conscience and it is as clear as mine,” she said.

Carpio-Morales said the AMLC documents that she presented to the Senate impeachment court last week were authenticated.

“I did not pick it out from the gutter. It was handed to me by AMLC director [Vicente] Aquino,” she said.

The Ombudsman said her appearance in the impeachment court as a hostile witness “was nothing personal,” and that she was merely “doing what was expected of me.”

Inquirer leak

She also denied that she was the one who leaked the “confidential” document to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Corona had accused his former colleague in the Supreme Court of allowing herself to be used by the Palace in its bid to remove him as chief justice.

“Palagay ko, nagpagamit ang Ombudsman sa Malacañang…Winawagayway niya ang isang dokumento allegedly from the AMLC [Anti-Money Laundering Council] na hindi naman authenticated,” he said.

Retirement money

Corona said animosity between him and the Ombudsman was caused by many factors, one of which stemmed from Carpio-Morales’s alleged request for a large retirement fund that the Chief Justice did not grant.

Carpio-Morales, however, said she never requested for Corona to increase her retirement benefits.

“It’s not true. I did not ask for it. I suffered in silence. I never asked for his consideration, bahala siya,” she said.

Carpio-Morales called Corona a “certified liar,” saying she only received P650,000 from the Supreme Court when she retired in 2011 despite the usual retirement fee placed at P1.5 million.

“The usual fee was raised to P1.5 million. In 2009, 6 justices retired and each got P1.5 million,” she said.

‘I will not resign’

Carpio-Morales added she will not resign from her post, despite Corona’s call that she should step down as Ombudsman if proven wrong about her allegations on the dollar accounts.

“I don’t think he has proven me wrong, so I will not resign,” she said.

Corona, meanwhile, also said he will not resign as chief justice.

When the Ombudsman was asked what she would feel if Corona was convicted, she only replied by saying, “Amen.”

Here’s the video:

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/video/nation/05/25/12/ombudsman-calls-corona-liar

Published inCorona ImpeachmentSupreme Court

68 Comments

  1. Aurore de Breizh Aurore de Breizh

    Golly! This is getting more and more burlesque!

  2. vonjovi2 vonjovi2

    Mas nakaka bilib naman si Morales kesa kay Thief Justice.

    Bakit hindi kaya sinagot ni Morales na bat ako ang mag re resign eh ninakaw at hindi ka naman karapat dapat sa inu upuhan mo ngayon.

    Or maganndang sagot sana ni Morales ay okey mag re resign ako kung mag re resign ka rin. Dapat ganoon tignan natin ang isasagot ni TJ.

  3. dan1067 dan1067

    ” I hope his conscience is clear as mine”, the ombudsman caught as saying! At the end of the day as final judgment the senator judges hopefully vote according to their conscience.

  4. MPRivera MPRivera

    i’ve watched on tv how the ombudsman delivered her words – WALANG kasabit sabit unlike corona’s. already scripted but NABUBULOL clearly defining how corrupt and a liar he is!

  5. MPRivera MPRivera

    when one has a clear conscience and hiding nothing, he can speak from his heart while looking straight at anyone’s eyes.

    but the way corona delivered himself two times before the impeachment court, not a bit of honest humility can be traced from his looks nor felt from his words.

    A CERTIFIED LIAR!

  6. ningcho ningcho

    between OMB Morales and Corona. i go for OMB Morales.

  7. xman xman

    First on the PCIJ’s list of public officials who continue to defy the SALN law is Conchita Carpio-Morales, a retired associate justice whom President Aquino appointed ombudsman in July 2011. Writes Mangahas: “Her office has rebuffed an omnibus request that the PCIJ filed in September 2011 to secure the SALNs of officials that many agencies had denied since 2006.

    “Carpio-Morales’ office to this day also insists on the rule that SALN requests have to be subscribed and sworn to before a prosecutor of the Ombudsman’s Office, according to a controversial memorandum circular issued by her impeached predecessor Merceditas Gutierrez.”

    If failure or refusal to disclose one’s SALN is now an impeachable offense, then Carpio-Morales and a whole caboodle of government officials deserve not only censure but the boot. According to the PCIJ, 185 of the 188 members of the 15th Congress who filed the impeachment case against Corona have not disclosed their SALNs.

    http://opinion.inquirer.net/20949/pcij-justices-ombudsman-house-defy-saln-law

  8. MPRivera MPRivera

    Ailing and undocumented, 68-year-old OFW wants to come home

    http://www.interaksyon.com/article/32976/ailing-and-undocumented-68-year-old-ofw-wants-to-come-home

    tinatawagan ng pansin ang mga KINAUUKULANG sobra sobra ang pera sa banko partikular dito ang mga kaababayan ng pobreng OFW’ng binabanggit sa artikulo.

    renato corona. ralph recto. vilma santos. eduardo ermita. hermi mandanas. at iba pang palaging nakikita ang mga mukha kapag merong gift giving, project launch at mga katulad na publisidad. gayundin, ang mga pulitikong laging gustong nakabalandra ang mukha sa billboards/streamers kahit hindi sa kanilang bulsa galing ang pondong ginugugol sa proyekto.

    ABS-CBN’s Lopezes. GM7’s Gozons. TV5’s MVP. puwede po ba’ng matulungan ang kababayang ito dahil WALA namang silbi ang OWWA at POEA dahil ang alam lamang nila ay MAG-ISIP at MANGULEKTA ng kung ano anong kontribusyong HINDI namin pinakikinabangan kapag meron kaming problemang kinakaharap.

  9. Rudolfo Rudolfo

    Between Corona and the Ombudsman-Carpio-Morales,kay Ombudswoman na kami y ako kakampi, wala syang kwento na nang-api ng kapa-milya nya..”eye for an eye sya “, si Corona, laging nakayuko, di makita ang “aura” ng katutuhanan, na katulad din yata, sa nag-appoint sa kanya. Isang telenovela ang kanyang pinag-gagawa sa IC(Impeachment Court), at ginamit pang drama ang reconciliation ng Basa-Corona y BGEI family, para,ipakita ang “hunyango” na kaugalian..Sana noon pang mga lipas na panahon, ginawa ang pagkakaisa. Katulad sya sa isang salamin na “basag-basag”, na mahirap kumpunihin..Ngunit, nandiyan din ang pagpapatawad (“erring is humn,forgiving is Godly”). Patawarin sya sa kanyang di pagawa ng totoo sa SALN at AMLAC, at pagbahid sa kanyang ring dangal..Ngunit di sya mapatatawad bilang isang CJ ng SC..Basag-na-basag na sya..Sino mang kakampi sa kanya, ay masasabing “basag din”…a comment for a change-improvement of the nation.

  10. MPRivera MPRivera

    “……………..inamin ni Lopez na siya ang tunay na may-ari ng sasakyang ginamit ng Punong Mahistrado at nirerentahan lamang ito ni Corona ng P12,000 kada araw……….”

    http://abante.com.ph/issue/may2712/news04.htm

    PhP12,000 isang araw ang renta?

    sino ang nagbabayad ng renta KUNG totoong hindi kay corona ang sasakyan?

    walastik din naman!

    magkano na nga ang sinasahod ng isang karaniwang trabahador kada buwan?

  11. chijap chijap

    Corona can’t call for others to resign if he was not willing to do the same.

    Mauna muna si Corona.

  12. chijap chijap

    #13 mprivera,

    Paging Midas’ touch.

    I’m assuming part ng trabaho ng SC Court Administrator to. Paano nila naaccredited ang isang colorum na kotse?

  13. chijap chijap

    @datinglalaki,

    your free to file a petition to impeach the 188 congressman based on your logic.

  14. MPRivera MPRivera

    bading,

    the more you pretend not seeing the wrongdoings of corona the more na nakakaawa ka at nagmumukhang tanga!

    hay naku ‘day, open your eyes!

    mag sing-along ka na lang mas maige pa!

  15. MPRivera MPRivera

    “……….“shows that the culture of honesty has become the norm among employees and workers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA)”. ……..”

    http://www.interaksyon.com/article/32959/naia-coupon-cab-driver-returns-wallet-left-by-returning-ofw

    challenging ALL government officials and employees as well officers and men of the AFP and PNP. are you just going to let yourselves shown examples by these ordinary private workers who are less or not privileged as you all are?

    don’t let us assume that HONESTY is just within the premises of your offices and the farthest it reach is only your doorsteps and not welcome in your work places.

    any taker?

  16. vic vic

    if ever there is one agency to investigate and have possession of evidence of Corona’s secret lives, it is the Office of the Ombuds…it was Corona who allowed himself to be used, and re-used by the former administration and now found himself without his protectors around to help him through his troubles…at least his consolation is that they were in it together and they will suffer the consequence together…GMA, Abalos, Mendoza, Mike A. Mike the Son, Neri, Morato, the Pagcor Chief and many others…they have one thing in common..one time or another, they were together in happier times.

  17. MPRivera MPRivera

    “………If a chief justice of the land interprets the law by saying he need not declare $2.4 million because of the absolute confidentiality of foreign currency deposits, then our country is in trouble……..

    ………He claimed they lead simply lives. But we all know that when you buy a condominium penthouse, the last thing in your mind is to live a simple life,” he said.

    “Maybe you would buy a condominium but buying a penthouse unit is another matter. I hate it that they’re taking people for a rise with their claims.”…..”

    http://www.interaksyon.com/article/32992/trillanes-says-country-in-trouble-if-cj-prefers-convenience-to-constitution

  18. chi chi

    Trillanes said that his decision on Corona’s fate was anchored on contradicting statements on the Coronas’ ‘simple life,’ the chief justice’s interpretation of the FCDA and the waiver he issued rather belatedly, when it was no longer necessary.
    __

    Si Trillanes, iba talaga!

    Corona only fooled himself when he issued the waiver. Mang-gugulang pa, buti na lang the senators, except two or three, saw through it.

    Simple life, wtf!

    Confidentiality of foreign currency deposits over Pinas Constitution? Gloriang-gloria ang lusot!

    Salamat sa link Mags.

  19. J J

    Impeach the Ombudsman! How dare her declare her dollars in her SALN! Di ba sabi ng FCDA absolute confidentiality dapat?!

  20. vonjovi2 vonjovi2

    Kung makakalusot si Corona ay “Kawawang Pilipinas” natin wala pala tayong matibay na batas dahil nababaliktad ng mga unggoy na ito.

    Ako po ay si thief justice at ang buhay ko po ay simple lang walang aircon sa lumang bahay at katulong kaya mjnabuti ko po na bumili ng tatlong condo para maranasan ko ang lamig ng aircon. Sayang naman kung itatago ko lang ang nakurakot ko at dalawang bahay sa US.

    Wala po akong 82 dollar accounts dahil sinirado ko na po at apat na lang ang natitira.

    P80 milyons po pala ang kuwarta ko pero hindi po ako accountant kaya di ko alam.

    Iyan po ang istorya ng buhay ko.

  21. Phil Cruz Phil Cruz

    Dear Senators, please remember that you were elected not because you were lawyers. You were elected primarily because of trust of the people. Don’t even try to impress us with your legal know-how or legal gobbledygooks. Just use your common sense and your moral sense.

    It’s that simple. Don’t lose sleep over it.

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