MANILA, Philippines — The Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) has placed some 15 names of former and current officials of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) under its radar following allegations of “massive corruption” in the agency.
In a Palace briefing Wednesday, PACC Commissioner Greco Belgica revealed that some of the names on their list came from Malacañang.
President Rodrigo Duterte previously said that he will announce the names of 10 PCSO officials allegedly involved in the “massive corruption” in the agency that prompted his order to stop all gaming schemes of the state-run lottery agency.
READ: Palace: Duterte to name less than 10 ‘corrupt’ PCSO officials
READ: Duterte stops all PCSO gaming activities including lotto, STL
“I have a copy of the names but in our record, we have 15. I don’t know if these are the names on the President’s list but I have a copy from Malacañang,” Belgica said.
Belgica noted that these officials, who will undergo lifestyle check, hold “critical” and “important positions” in PCSO.
He also confirmed that former PCSO general manager Alexander Balutan is included in the ongoing investigation, which they expect to be completed in two to three months.
The PACC official added that board members were likewise included in their probe after they supposedly created policies that allowed corruption to thrive in the agency.
The anti-corruption commission further said that it will order PCSO board member Sandra Cam to submit the pieces of evidence she claims would prove corruption in PCSO.
Cam earlier said that she is willing to provide lawmakers documents that will prove high-ranking officials of PCSO are involved in corruption.
“We are interested to hear what she has to say to us, not to take it as the truth, but to investigate it,” Belgica said. /kga