THE OMBUDSMAN cannot pursue a corruption case against Vice-President (VP) Sara Duterte-Carpio unless she is first removed from office, a congressman said on Monday.

The anti-graft body’s charter prevents it from filing a case against Ms. Duterte, Manila Rep. Joel R. Chua told a media briefing.

“The President has immunity. But as far as I know, under the Ombudsman’s charter, they can investigate anyone except impeachable officers,” he said in Filipino. “That means you have to be impeached first before any case can be filed.”

Section 21 of Republic Act No. 6770 states that the anti-graft body holds disciplinary authority over all government officials, except those who may be removed by impeachment. Under the 1987 Constitution, the President, Vice President, Supreme Court Justices and officials of constitutional bodies are subject to impeachment

Ms. Duterte is expected to face an impeachment trial in late July after congressmen impeached her in February due to allegations of budget anomalies to amassing unusual wealth and threatening the lives of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., his wife and the Speaker.

“Since the Vice-President is an impeachable officer, the Ombudsman should allow the impeachment process to proceed first before initiating a criminal investigation,” Ephraim B. Cortez, president of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers, said in a Viber message.

The anti-graft body can only investigate for the sake of filing an impeachment case against impeachable officers still in office, said former Supreme Court Justice Antonio T. Carpio.

“The Ombudsman will investigate only for the purpose of filing an impeachment complaint,” he said in a Viber message.

Mr. Chua said Ms. Duterte cannot be charged with criminal cases due to a 2005 Supreme Court decision, which cited a 1995 disbarment case against an Ombudsman that required impeachable officers to be terminated first before being held to answer criminally or administratively.

The case cited by the congressman is not applicable to Ms. Duterte’s situation, said Michael Henry Ll. Yusingco, a senior research fellow at the Ateneo de Manila University Policy Center, noting that the circumstances surrounding the mentioned cases do not contain elements that would compromise her eligibility to remain in office.

“A disbarment case just cannot precede an impeachment case because it will lead to an unconstitutional scenario,” he said, noting that a disbarment will in effect remove the Ombudsman from office.

“Only a lawyer can be an Ombudsman. If he is disbarred, then he can no longer assume the office.”

In the Vice President’s case, however, Mr, Yusingco argued that Ms. Duterte can still be charged with cases by the anti-graft body as an indictment does not jeopardize her holding of the office.

“A criminal indictment can be filed against her, and she can be detained or imprisoned. But removal from office is not part of the consequences of a criminal case,” he said.

“On the other hand, an impeachment case doesn’t involve any criminal liability. Therefore, a criminal indictment and an impeachment trial can proceed simultaneously.” — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

A POLITICAL group on Monday urged President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to swiftly suspend excise and value-added taxes on petroleum products amid a conflict in the Middle East.

The Philippines should not wait for global oil prices to hit $80 per barrel before suspending petroleum duties, former Party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani T. Zarate said in a statement.

“The suspension of excise and value-added taxes on petroleum products is now necessary, as there is no other way to protect consumers while Congress is out of session,” he said in Filipino.

A 2017 law previously allowed the government to suspend the collection of excise tax on petroleum products when world oil prices reach $80 per barrel for three months, but the provision lapsed five years ago.

“The government has the executive power to suspend these burdensome taxes immediately,” Mr. Zarate said. “We cannot afford to wait for legislative action when our people are already suffering from rising prices of basic commodities.”

Rising global oil prices could stoke inflation, Albay Rep. Jose Ma. Clemente S. Salceda said in a separate statement.

“When oil gets more expensive and the peso is weak, it costs more to import fuel,” he said late Sunday. “Every $10 increase in oil prices could raise inflation in the Philippines by as much as 0.5% for poor households.” — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

THE House of Representatives will swiftly act on a proposal to restore the National Food Authority’s (NFA) market regulatory powers once it is transmitted to the chamber, Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez said on Monday.

“This NFA revamp bill is one way to lower food prices, empower farmers and protect our consumers,” he said in a statement.

The Agriculture department last week said it is finalizing a draft bill that aims to restore the NFA’s market regulatory powers, such as allowing it again to manage buffer stocks and regulate rice marketing.

The measure also seeks to provide the NFA the power to set floor prices for palay, it added.

Mr. Romualdez said the measure would allow the NFA to “directly intervene” in the rice market by purchasing palay from farmers and releasing buffer stocks during natural disasters, hoarding incidents or suspected market manipulation.

“These are reforms for and within the NFA to benefit both farmers and consumers,” he said, adding that efforts to empower the food agency would include transparency and good governance provisions.

“We’ve learned lessons from the past, and we will ensure that the shortcomings of the NFA are not repeated,” said Mr. Romualdez. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio