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| Jimenez (with mic) speaking at the media conference. |
By Vir B. Lumicao
An anti-graft body that reports directly to Philippine
President Rodrigo Duterte says it is finalizing its report on an investigation
of graft charges against Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III.
A member of the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission said
in a media conference at the Consulate on Dec. 14 that the outcome of the probe
will be “a triumph of justice” and “will be fair.”
PACC Commissioner Manuelito Luna said the collegial body had
done two fact-finding inquiries.
“We have conducted two and we are finalizing our report to
the president. Whatever it is, it will be the President who will have the final
say. But rest assured that that case will be a triumph of justice and it will
be fair because we will accord the subject due process,” Luna said.
But he made it clear that what the PACC is preparing only a
preliminary report and that it will be submitted to President Duterte in early
2019.
“If the President orders us to conduct further
investigation, then we will do so, unless he issues an order and… you know that
in corruption cases, a whiff of corruption is enough to get an official fired
or caused to resign,” said Luna.
“We are not saying that he’s guilty or not, because that is
confidential. But rest assured that justice will be done not only to the
complainant but to the subject and all those implicated.”
Monalie Dizon, secretary-general of Kilusang Pagbabago
National Movement for Change, a pro-Duterte group, filed a complaint-affidavit at
the PACC on Jul 12 accusing Bello and his undersecretary, Dominador Say, of conspiracy
to commit administrative and criminal offenses.
Dizon said the alleged illegal activities began after Bello
signed in June 2017 Administrative Order 241 divesting the Philippine Overseas
Employment Administration of its power to issue and renew licenses for employment
agencies.
The order, signed in June last year, also required that all
processed applications be sent to Bello
Luna said the PACC has already endorsed a graft case against
Say to the Ombudsman, about an alleged pay-off to Say by a former recruitment
agency owner, Azzizzah Salim.
Jimenez himself presented Salim to Duterte so she could
reveal the alleged extortion by Say.
“It’s now with the Ombudsman and it will undergo the
necessary processing. If it merits criminal investigation, the Office of the
Ombudsman will do the same dahil wala kaming criminal jurisdiction. Ang amin
pong trabaho ay administrative in nature,” Luna said.
Dizon’s complaint included Bello and Say’s alleged extortion
of P6.8 million from Salim, in exchange for the reversal of a DOLE decision
revoking her agency’s license.
Bello has denied Dizon’s allegation, and claimed Salim had asked
him to clarify to Duterte that she did not include the labor chief in her
complaint.
Bello said he told Salim he had no power to do that but accompanied
her to see Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea so she could make the
clarification.
The PACC team, led by Chairman Dante Jimenez and included executive
director Eduardo Bringas and executive assistant Jong Sorro, stopped by Hong
Kong after a trip to China to introduce the commission to mainland authorities.
The team brought with them a video presentation about the
PACC and the actions it has taken against allegedly corrupt government
employees.
Jimenez said the PACC was expressly created by Duterte on
Oct 4, 2017 to spearhead the President’s anti-corruption drive in government.
He said that out of about 100 complaints against government officials,
56 cases have already been filed with the Ombudsman, including those against
regional officers of the Department of Public Works and Highways in Bicol for
allegedly anomalous projects.
Luna said the PACC has no jurisdiction over non-presidential
appointees and those who are below salary Grade 26 (or Director II level). But,
in certain instances, he said, the commission would refer complaints against
these type of government employees to the Ombudsman, he said.
