Sotto welcomes government-wide probe vs corruption

MANILA, Philippines — Even though legislators are not exempted, Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Wednesday welcomed the government-wide probe against corruption ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte.

“It’s a welcome thing, actually, because hindi lang Kongreso kung hindi the entire government bureaucracy should be investigated,” Sotto said in a Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum.

The Department of Justice-led probe will help agencies such as the Office of the Ombudsman and the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission in sniffing out anomalies in the government, the Senate leader said.

Sotto admitted that senators and congressmen are not immune to the country’s anti-graft laws, as mentioned by Presidential spokesman Harry Roque on Tuesday.

“‘Yung immunity namin, sa laws that have a penalty of six years and below. ’Yung beyond that, like graft, we’re not immune doon,” he said.

In a speech aired Tuesday morning, Duterte ordered the DOJ to lead a multi-agency task force to conduct a sweeping, government-wide investigation, lamenting how the agencies have succumbed to rampant corruption.

He even admitted that the corruption problem of the country has worsened.

EDV