CITY OF SAN FERNANDO— Malacañang’s anti-graft drive over the past seven years has netted 126 out of some 1,600 presidential appointees, the chief of the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC) has reported.

“These are not small fry,” PAGC Chair Constancia de Guzman told some 200 Central Luzon officials gathered here on Tuesday for a joint meeting of the Regional Development Council, Regional Peace and Order Council and Regional Disaster Coordination Council.

De Guzman said the PAGC’s ax fell on two undersecretaries, six assistant secretaries, seven chairs of government corporations, five officials of state colleges and universities, 10 administrators, one deputy administrator, three commissioners, two assistant commissioners, 48 regional directors, three general managers, one assistant general manager, eight assistant directors, 12 board directors, five prosecutors, three heads of school divisions, and five non-presidential appointees who were found to have conspired in the commission of graft.

She did not give out names but added that 72 of those officials were dismissed, at least 25 were suspended, eight reprimanded and 21 forfeited their salaries and benefits because they were pinpointed as accessories in the misuse of public funds.

In terms of yearly results, De Guzman’s report showed two officials were caught in 2001, 33 in 2002, 36 in 2003, seven in 2004, four in 2005, 12 in 2006 and 32 in 2007.

“I would say that PAGC’s work is successful. The number of officials punished for graft under the administration of President (Gloria) Macapagal-Arroyo is 500 percent higher than in previous administrations,” De Guzman said.

According to her, the anti-graft campaign under former Presidents Fidel Ramos and Joseph Estrada netted only 15 and 10, respectively.

Since its creation in April 2001, the PAGC has filed more than 1,000 graft cases. As of June 2008, at least 366 cases were pending.