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Senator Christopher Go (Photo from his office)
MANILA, Philippines – Anyone involved in alleged Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) ghost projects will “face consequences” – dismissal, trial, imprisonment – as warranted.
According to a statement released Sunday, Senator Christopher Go issued the warning in an interview on Saturday after he spearheaded the distribution of aid to flash flood victims in the city of San Pablo, Laguna.
He said that President Rodrigo Duterte had instructed the task force investigating corruption in government to verify the alleged DPWH ghost projects.
“If there are ghost projects, those responsible will be held responsible,” he said in Filipino.
The expanded task force recently created by the president is headed by Secretary of Justice Menardo Guevarra.
Go repeated what he said were Duterte’s constant reminders to anyone joining the government service: “Do the right thing and avoid corruption.”
“So when he gets into corruption, he doesn’t follow the president’s reminder. You face the consequences, ”Go said, speaking in part in Filipino. “Whether you are fired, charged or jailed, face the consequences. We will really come for you. “
Then he called on public servants to “get in shape.”
“Those of you in government who are corrupt, have mercy on the people. They paid their taxes. They expect nothing less, ”Go said. “All the taxes they paid can be used properly and nothing will be wasted … by corruption.”
He also commended Public Works Secretary Mark Villar for forming an investigative task force to investigate allegations of corruption within his own department.
Go emphasized that there should be no “sacred cows” and each official should take responsibility for cleaning their ranks, emphasizing the president’s warning that he will not tolerate “even a hint of corruption.”
What a preventive suspension recommended for anyone suspected of corruption to preserve the integrity of the probe.
He also raised the need for lifestyle checks to identify government workers living beyond their means.
He said he was the one who recommended to the president the creation of a new and more empowered task force with an expanded scope to investigate reported anomalies in any government agency.
The task force will operate until Duterte’s term ends in 2022.
“President Duterte is already exasperated by corruption in the government. This is like a pandemic that is destroying our normal way of life, ”he said.
“The president wants to leave behind the changes in the country, especially in this campaign against corruption, changes that all people can feel. He wants people to remember that he fought against all corruption in the government, ”he said.
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