PACC to subpoena PCSO officials in corruption probe – Jimenez
Credit to Author: CATHERINE S. VALENTE, TMT| Date: Thu, 01 Aug 2019 04:46:40 +0000
THE Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) will subpoena officials of the state-run Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) amid an investigation into allegations of corruption in the agency.
In a radio interview on Thursday, PACC Chairman Dante Jimenez said that apart from the power to conduct investigations, the anti-corruption body has authority to subpoena personalities, based on Executive Order (EO) 43, which created the PACC.
“We will subpoena all of them. Pwede namin sila i-subpoena kasi may malaking issue ngayon sa PCSO (We can issue subpoenas to them becuase there is really a big issue now at the PCSO),” Jimenez said during an interview with dzBB radio.
“Now PCSO, ‘yan po ay gagawin na po namin (we will make that) as a priority move para malaman natin ang kanilang background sa finances, at ‘yan naman public record ‘yang SALN (to know their financial background, and that’s for public record, the SALN [Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth]),” he added.
Jimenez said the PACC’s investigation would be conducted with the aid of its partner agencies, including the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) and the Commission on Audit (COA).
“We have a very good coordination with AMLC, meron kaming MOA diyan tsaka (we have signed MOA [Memorandum of Agreement] with them as well as the) COA. So kumpleto po kami ng armas (So we are ready for it)” the PACC chief said.
“We are also coordinating with the investigating agencies to do all these things because sa PACC, kulang kami ng tao (we lack manpower). So ‘yan po ay gagawin namin, lahat ng makinarya ng gobyerno para ma-fulfill ang mandato namin (that’s what we are going to do, we will use all the machinery of the government to fulfill our mandate)… to protect the people’s money as per the instruction of the President,” he said.
Created in 2017 through EO 43, the PACC was tasked to look into allegations of excessive lifestyles, graft and corruption activities, and then recommend punishment against those officials, which could range from suspension to removal from office.
The PACC is also empowered to summon government personnel and subpoena records and to administer oaths pursuant to its authority to take testimony or receive evidence. It can also tap the support of any law enforcement agency of government to call upon all state agencies, including government-owned and controlled corporations.
Meanwhile, Jimenez said the PACC’s plan of conducting a lifestyle check on PCSO officials would include all members of the agency’s board of directors.
“Mga board of directors, mga nagmamanage ng PCSO, mga executive officials, lahat po sila at kung kailangang madagdagan pa ng iba eh pwede hong dagdagan ‘yan (We will be conducting lifestyle checks on the board of directors, those managing the PCSO, its executive officials, all of them and if they need to add more people, we will),” he said.
Duterte last week declared all PCSO games, including the lottery, as illegal and ordered authorities to shut down gaming kiosks nationwide.
Lotto operations however resumed Wednesday after the President lifted his suspension order.
Others such as the Peryahan ng Bayan, small town lottery (STL) and Keno, however, remain suspended pending the results of an investigation into allegations of “illegal activities and corrupt practices.”
Malacañang had claimed there was a conspiracy among major players in the PCSO games that deprived the government of its rightful share of revenues.