Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 27) — The Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission is set to file cases against erring government officials, including an appointee of President Rodrigo Duterte, its chairman Greco Belgica said on Tuesday.
Belgica said they are waiting for the Office of the Ombudsman to resume operations next week so they can file the complaints against an unidentified presidential appointee, assistant secretary, regional director, and regional officers.
“Kami ay nakahanda nang magsampa ng kaso laban sa matataas na opisyal ng gobyerno. May presidential appointee. Itong kaso isasampa namin hopefully next week. It involves hundreds of millions of pesos,” he said during a Laging Handa briefing.
[Translation: We are ready to file the cases next week against high-ranking government officials. There is a presidential appointee. We can hopefully file this next week.]
Belgica also said they are almost done investigating the government agencies “notorious” for corrupt practices, such as the Bureau of Customs, the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Bureau of Internal Revenue, and the Department of Transportation.
Oplan Lifestyle Check
The PACC has also launched Oplan Lifestyle Check to investigate if the lives led by government employees are proportional to their income. He said a number of undersecretaries are undergoing scrutiny.
“Ito ay gagamitin namin ngayon against officials na laging sinusumbong pero ang hirap prodyusan ng ebidensya,” he said. “Kung ang kanilang gastos, ari-arian ay hindi commensurate sa kanilang kinikita bilang opisyal, lalo na sa declared nila sa SALN, sila ay pwedeng kasuhan ng unexplained wealth.”
[Translation: We will use this against officials who are always being reported but can’t find produce evidence against. If their spending and assets are not commensurate with their income, especially with what’s declared in their SALN, then they can be charged with unexplained wealth.]
The PACC is teaming up with the Anti-Money Laundering Council, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and other related agencies to access public records of government officials and workers.
