New Ombudsman Martires to implement Palace dismissal order vs deputy

August 6, 2018

Newly-appointed Ombudsman Samuel Martires on Monday vowed to implement the dismissal order issued by President Rodrigo Duterte against overall deputy ombudsman Arthur Carandang.

Martires said he has "no choice" but to enforce the dismissal order once it becomes final on the part of the Palace.

Martires said Carandang has 15 days to appeal the order, which would become "immediately executory" should the Palace deny his motion for reconsideration.

"I don’t have any discretion with respect to that... I think he (Carandang) knows that immediately he has to leave the office," added Martires, who took his oath of office in the Supreme Court.

According to Martires, a former magistrate in the Sandiganbayan prior to his promotion to the SC, he knows Carandang is "not that hard headed" and "a very reasonable guy."

"The provisions on administrative cases are very clear - that it is immediately executory. As a lawyer, Carandang knows what he has to do," he said. DMS