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Friday, February 10, 2006
10 Palace execs face lifestyle check
AT LEAST 10 Presidential appointee are the latest targets of a lifestyle audit and graft and corruption investigation of the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC).
PAGC chairman Constancia de Guzman said the names of the 10 Presidential appointees were those that the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (Vacc) submitted to them recently.
De Guzman said of the 10 names submitted, three are already the subject of the agency's own investigations. Both the PAGC and Vacc however declined to identify the 10 or give clues as to what agencies they belong to pending investigation.
"I do hope you will respect we cannot give the names that would destroy our strategy, mabubulabog po iyung pugad (the nest will be stirred). Initially, we were thinking probably a mere mention of the offices would do but when we deeply analyze possible repercussions of that, it could also be a signal for them to do some cleansing and it would be to the detriment of the credible case build-up we are working on," she said.
De Guzman described the 10 as "high-ranking" and "big fishes" while Vacc founder Dante Jimenez described the 10 as "small and big fishes appointed by the President."
Jimenez said the 10 are officials who have "accounts abroad, big luxurious cars, mansions, business interests and what have you", which are unusual or not common to ordinary government officials.
The submission of the list was in relation to a memorandum of agreement signed by two groups Thursday morning in Malacañang in an attempt to strengthen the government's anti-corruption campaign.
De Guzman said the latest order from President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was to heighten the campaign against graft and corruption and to "refocus thrusts from prevention education to ensure that there would be concrete results in the investigative processes as evidenced by the conviction of big fishes".
She said collaborating with the Vacc would help achieve this goal as they have the manpower to check reports and information on alleged irregular activities involving appointees.
De Guzman also said the Vacc would also help in monitoring the results or outcome of recommendations that the PAGC would submit, particularly the filing and implementation of possible sanctions that would be imposed on those found guilty of any irregularities.
De Guzman also assured that they would come out with results on the 10 within 90 days. She said the three-month time-frame would be applied to other cases that would be submitted to them. (JMR/Sunnex)
(February 10, 2006 issue)
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