Malacañang said it will not interfere in complaints filed before the courts, stressing that the judiciary alone determines their outcome.
Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said while any Filipino may file a case, it is up to the courts to assess the evidence and decide whether the complaints have merit.
“Karapatan po ninuman na magsampa ng kaso. Ang tanong lamang po kung ito ay magpo-prosper. So hindi na po hawak ng Palasyo at ng Pangulo kung ano ang magiging desisyon ng korte,” Castro said.
(Everyone has the right to file a case. The question is whether it will prosper. The Palace and the President no longer have control over the court’s decision.)
Castro added that judges and justices are capable of evaluating evidence and applying the law in resolving cases.
“Ang mga korte po natin, ang mga judges natin, pati justices ay matatalino. Alam po nila kung ano ang dapat na gamiting batas at paano ito madidismiss o magpo-prosper,” she said.
(Our courts, judges, and justices are knowledgeable. They know what laws apply and whether a case should be dismissed or allowed to proceed.)
The statement followed a complaint filed by lawyer Manases Carpio, husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office against officials of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), and several lawmakers.
The complaint alleges violations of the Bank Secrecy Law, the Data Privacy Act, and the Anti-Money Laundering Act over the disclosure of financial transaction reports during House impeachment proceedings.
The House inquiry earlier cited AMLC findings showing around ₱6.7 billion in “covered” and “suspicious” transactions linked to the Vice President and Carpio, which have since formed part of the impeachment proceedings.