SC voids dismissal of ex-Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Carandang

MANILA, Philippines—The Supreme Court has declared void former President Rodrigo Duterte’s dismissal of Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Arthur Carandang, saying that the former president lacked the disciplinary authority to do so. In a decision promulgated Jan. 29, 2026, but recently posted on its website, the Supreme Court’s Third Division said the chief executive has no