In photo: Former DOLE Usec. Nicon Fameronag of Lilac Center for Public Interest stresses a point during the joint Press Conference with Kilusang Pagbabago and the Coalition Against Corruption (CAC) represented by its Trustee Monalie Dizon held at the Max Restaurant in Maria Orosa, Manila.
Fight Against Corruption In Doldrums With PACC Inability To Take Action
Lukewarm treatment by the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) on several graft and corruption complaints lodged before them, has dampened the enthusiasm of whistle-blowers to come out with information on graft and corruption in all sectors of the government agency. Putting the lives, safety and protection of the witnesses and whistle-blowers in jeopardy.
Monalie 'Alie' Dizon, Secretary General of Kilusang Pagbabago and Trustee of the Coalition Against Corruption (CAC) and Nicon F. Fameronag, President of the Lilac Center for Public Interest, jointly made this observation in a press conference where the CAC announced it is ending its cooperative ties with the PACC.
“We announce today that the CAC is severing its alliance with the PACC as a private sector partner and watchdog of the government to fight corruption in all aspects of governance but we will continue to support President Duterte’s war on graft and corruption,” Fameronag said.
“We are no longer cooperating with the PACC. Instead, we encourage whistle-blowers to directly go to the Ombudsman if they have strong and sufficient information on graft and corruption anywhere in government,” he added. According to Fameronag, who is also the CAC’s vice president for internal affairs, the CAC arrived at the decision after Chairman Jimenez and another commissioner, Manuelito Luna, inhibited themselves from the deliberation on the PACC’s investigation of the graft and corruption complaint filed against
DOLE Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III by two overseas recruitment agency owners.
“First, Chairman Jimenez told us the lie that the complaints were already up for resolution late last year and later, that the resolution was already on the President’s desk for his action.
These were false because we learned just recently that he and Commissioner Luna inhibited themselves from the deliberation for unknown reasons,” Dizon explained.
Dizon also accused the PACC, particularly "Commissioner Greco Belgica, of sitting on the complaints of Duty Free Philippines’ employees against its management, also for graft and corruption, harassment, and executing contracts disadvantageous to the government", Ms. Dizon was quoted in a Press conference.
“We are disappointed that the PACC has not lived up to its mandate under Executive Order 43 which is “to directly assist the President in investigating and or hearing administrative cases primarily involving graft and corruption against all presidential appointees,” Dizon said.
“When we were assisting the complainants and going out of our way to help the PACC gather witnesses and information on those complaints, we were assured by the PACC that it will act on these complaints with dispatch. Now, we are at a loss on the status of these complaints. The PACC has failed the President and the Filipino people,” Dizon further said.
The fall out between the CAC and the PACC has led the former to call for the resignation of Chairman Jimenez and Commissioners Luna and Belgica and for the President to fire them if they refuse.
“The credibility of the President’s anti-graft and anti-corruption campaign is on the line. The PACC has become useless and we would like the President to know this'', Dizon said. (TeddyChoBlogs)
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