Duterte to the Department of Justice: Investigate all acts of corruption in the government

MANILA, Philippines – Saying that official corruption had worsened, President Rodrigo Duterte announced Tuesday that he had directed the Department of Justice (DOJ) to launch a comprehensive investigation into corruption in all government agencies and to place particular emphasis on the Department of Public Works. and highways (DPWH), which he previously described as full of irregularities.

It also ordered the Secretary of Justice, Menardo Guevarra, to prosecute and file charges against those involved in irregularities, whether in the public or private sector.

In 2016, Duterte won the presidency by campaigning on the promise of fighting corruption, crime and illegal drugs.

But his administration has been haunted by scandals and allegations of corruption and cover-ups in state agencies ranging from prisons, the state health insurer, immigration, airports and customs, to the police and the drug enforcement agency, few of which led convictions or high profile. you resign. On Tuesday, Duterte issued a memorandum that broadened the scope of a previous task force formed to investigate allegations of widespread corruption at the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) and authorized Guevarra to create as many investigative panels as possible. necessary and include other government agencies in these groups.

The Department of Justice will study corruption until the end of Duterte’s term on June 30, 2022.

Guevarra said it was the “most difficult” task he had received from the president.

“I will need the support and cooperation of the entire government machinery to achieve this singular goal of substantially reducing corruption in [the] government, “he said in a message to reporters.

In issuing the directive, Duterte noted that corruption in the country has flourished.

“I have promised … that I will concentrate the last years that remain in my mandate in the fight against corruption, because so far it is not diminishing, it is getting stronger. It’s as if the country’s officials are rendered useless and unable to do anything about the onslaught of corruption, ”he said in a televised speech.

The Philippines fell 14 notches to 113th out of 180 countries on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index last year.

Other branches

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Duterte, “using his own personal standards,” was not satisfied with the efforts to clean up state agencies.

The president issued the directive, Roque said, because if the Ombudsman’s Office has a mandate to prosecute official corruption, the Justice Department is the largest prosecutor’s office in the country and has more lawyers that it can deploy for the investigation.

“The more government personnel focus on corruption, the better,” Roque told a news conference.

The investigation would not only focus on executive branch officials, but would also include public officials from the other branches, he said.

There is no separate agency investigating Congress, Roque said. “It is the power of the executive to implement all laws, regardless of who is involved,” he said.

He said there would be no overlap in the functions of the Justice Department and other government agencies because the agencies could be included in the task force.

The Justice Department directive was also intended to emphasize the president’s desire to focus on fighting corruption and leaving a legacy of clean government, he said.

Duterte believes that he can still minimize corruption, even if he cannot completely eradicate it.

Resignation won’t save you

He noted that it had started with PhilHealth, where officials had either been removed or resigned. But resigning would not absolve officials of any responsibility, he said.

“Let me remind everyone in this government [that] your resignation will not save your neck, “he said. Even if they resign, they could still be summoned or cited for what they did as part of the government, he said.

He would also suspend officials in the coming days, he said.

“If I fail you, it means that I have doubts about you. I will not suspend anyone who has not committed a crime, “he said.

The president also said he was no longer in favor of abolishing PhilHealth, backing away from an earlier plan to ask Congress to remove the state health insurance firm.

He noted that many PhilHealth officials had already been suspended.

“I will not abolish it because it is not really easy to create another one, but I think that by now many have been suspended,” he said.

But while criticizing corruption, Duterte continued to vouch for Public Works Secretary Mark Villar and Health Secretary Francisco Duque, chairman of the PhilHealth board.

He said he had nothing against Villar, whom he called hard-working and accomplished.

Roque said the president would let the DOJ decide whether or not to investigate Villar.

Charges against Duque

As for Duque, the president said he “was not part of PhilHealth” and did not inform the agency.

Duterte said he did not listen to calls from Congress to suspend or replace Duque, adding that there was no basis for such action.

“On what basis would I base my decision? Would you simply obey the million dollar cry against my assessment that Duque didn’t steal anything, when it comes to money? Maybe some other things. It may be more than corruption, no, no money, “he said.

On Tuesday, the House Public Accounts and Blue Ribbon committees voted to approve an investigative report recommending the filing of administrative and criminal charges against Duque, PhilHealth board members and other officials from the state health insurer for irregularities in the company. (See the story on this page).

Duterte also warned his critics against linking him to corruption.

“Don’t make up a sin against me because I have carefully avoided being corrupt,” he said.

The president ordered executive agencies to simplify the process of distributing cash assistance to the people so it doesn’t delay.

He noted that in some provinces officials were asked to submit proposals before the money could be distributed.

Transparency rules

Food and health-related assistance must be provided promptly, he said.

“Eliminate delays, local government permits, and the like,” he said.

If it receives a delay report, it will forward it to the Ombudsman’s office, which can suspend officials, he added.

The President also issued an administrative order directing executive agencies to comply with rules and policies to ensure transparency, accountability, and good governance in their procurement processes.

The order requires them to post on their official website and social media platforms the details of their projects, including the budget for these and the winning contractor, as well as the construction status and the reason for the delays.

They should publish the source of funds for these projects, the responsible official and their contact number or email address.

They should also publish the detailed actual cost of the project and any variations on it.

All agencies, after having awarded a contract, must also make public the name of the winning bidder, the approved budget and the amount of the contract awarded, and the executing office of the agency in question.

The order also requires the Philippine Government’s Electronic Procurement System to be user-friendly and mobile, up-to-date, and meet the requirements to maintain a Seal of Transparency.

The Public Procurement Policy Board is tasked with disseminating the names of the contractors and suppliers included in the black list to the contracting entities and the Audit Committee each quarter.

The blacklist must also be published on the PhilGEPS and GPPB websites and the contracting entity’s social media platforms.

–With reports from Tina G. Santos and Reuters

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