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26 solons vow support for Ombudsman amid Duterte ire

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/news/10/10/20171009-ombudsman-conchita-morales-3-jc.jpg?ext=.jpg"/><figcaption>Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales appears at the senate on Monday before the Senate budget hearing for the Office of the Ombudsman. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA - Twenty-six congressmen have filed a resolution pledging to &quot;preserve and protect the constitutional independence and integrity&quot; of the Office of the Ombudsman, which has angered President Rodrigo Duterte for investigating &quot;fabricated&quot; allegations that he kept <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/02/17/duterte-shoot-me-if-my-wealth-is-beyond-p40-m">hidden wealth</a>. In a statement released Tuesday, the Liberal Party said 21 of the 26 lawmakers that signed House Resolution 1395 belong to their party, including: Francis Gerald Abaya, Cavite Benjie Agarao, Laguna Vicente Alcala, Quezon Isagani Amatong, Zamboanga del Norte Kaka Bag-ao, Dinagat IslandBolet Banal, Quezon City Kit Belmonte, Quezon City Emmanuel Billones, Capiz Gabriel Bordado, Camarines Sur Raul Daza, Northern SamarRaul del Mar, Cebu City Cheryl Deloso-Montalla, Zambales Christopher De Venecia, Pangasinan Edgar Erice, Caloocan Edcel Lagman, AlbayJocelyn Limkaichong, Negros Oriental Miro Quimbo, Marikina Josephine Ramirez-Sato, Occidental Mindoro Rene Relampagos, Bohol Vilma Santos-Recto, Batangas Edgar Mary Sarmiento, SamarOther signatories included representatives Ma. Lourdes Acosta-Alba of Bukidnon, Tom Villarin of Akbayan, Strike Revilla of Cavite, Lawrence Fortun of Agusan del Norte and Rav Rocamora of Siquijor, said LP. Their resolution stressed that the Ombudsman was created under the 1987 Constitution to act as an independent body &quot;to serve as protectors of the people against inept, abusive, and corrupt in government.&quot;&quot;The framers of the Constitution intended that these independent bodies be insulated from political pressure to the extent that the absence of independence would result in the impairment of their core functions to shield it from the pressures and influence of officialdom and partisan politics and from fear of external reprisal,” it read. Duterte recently threatened to file an impeachment complaint against Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales and Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno for allegedly being involved in a &quot;<a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/02/17/duterte-believes-sereno-morales-being-used-to-oust-him-palace">conspiracy</a>&quot; to remove him from office. The President also said he is planning to create a <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/28/17/duterte-to-create-commission-to-probe-alleged-ombudsman-anomalies">commission</a> that would investigate alleged anomalies at the Office of the Ombudsman. The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) has also said it will seek the impeachment of Morales.

Twenty-six congressmen have filed a resolution pledging to "preserve and protect the constitutional independence and integrity" of the Office of the Ombudsman,

Twenty-six congressmen have filed a resolution pledging to "preserve and protect the constitutional independence and integrity" of the Office of the Ombudsman,