Yap wants House to look into Belgica’s handling of Duty Free probe

MANILA, Philippines — ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Eric Yap wants the House of Representatives to look into how Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) official Greco Belgica handled the probe into the alleged irregularities within the Duty Free Philippines Corp. (DFPC).

Yap, who was included in the PACC’s list of allegedly corrupt officials that was recently bared by President Rodrigo Duterte, said he would file a resolution calling for an investigation into the matter once Congress resumes session in January next year.

Congress has been on break since mid-December.

RELATED STORY: ‘I’m ready to resign if proven guilty of corruption,’ says Yap of ACT-CIS

“Gusto ko po sanang turuan din kayo kung papaano talaga mag-imbestiga…Kay Mr. Greco, I will show him sa January, papaano talaga mag-investigate,” Yap told reporters in an online interview on Tuesday.

 (I want to teach him how to properly conduct an investigation…For Mr. Greco, I will show him in January how to really investigate.)

Last October, a graft complaint was filed by a group of DFPC employees against Belgica before the Office of the Ombudsman.

The employees said they were “very frustrated and disappointed” about how Belgica handled the probe on alleged irregularities within DFPC. They claimed that the PACC official watered down his report and recommendation.

Belgica, however, has already denied the accusations.

Yap said it is within the duty of Congress to investigate such issues in aid of legislation.

“Trabaho namin sa Kongreso e yung mag-imbestiga e, hindi pupwedeng one side lang ang kukunin mo at ilalabas mo, ngayon po ako po ay magpa-file ng resolution pagdating ng January, pagbukas ng Kongreso, tungkol dito sa anomalya sa Duty Free Philippines in aid of legislation,” he said.

(One of our jobs in Congress is to investigate, we can’t just get one side and then release that information. I will file a resolution once Congress resumes session regarding the alleged anomalies in Duty Free.)

“Dun po ipapakita ko po kay Commissioner Belgica kung gaano kapatas ang pagiimbestiga hindi lang po yung nagaakusa ang kailangan mong kunan ng panig kung hindi po yung inaakusahan,” he added.

(There, I will show Commissioner Belgica how a fair investigation should be done, we get not only the side of those making accusations but also those being accused.)

Yap and other House lawmakers were tagged in the PACC’s list cried foul over what they said were “baseless” accusations by the agency.

“It is my job, our job as lawmakers to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation para once and for all, ma-make sure natin yung taga-bantay natin ay hindi nali-link sa corruption,” Yap said.

(It is my job, our job as lawmakers to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation so that once and for all, we would be able to make sure that the person keeping us accountable is not linked to corruption.)

“I’m not saying na he is linked to corruption. I’m just saying na kailangan namin mag-conduct ng inquiry tungkol dito sa Duty Free and we will make it fair hindi tulad po ng ginawa niya (Belgica),” he added.

(I’m not saying na he is linked to corruption. I’m just saying that we need to conduct an inquiry into this Duty Free issue and we will make it fair, unlike what he did.)

“But I will defend him (Belgica) sa inquiry, ilalabas ko yung katotohanan para kung talagang malinis siya, mapatunayan at ma-clear yung name niya,” he further said.

(But I will defend him (Belgica) during the inquiry, I will lay out the truth so that if he is really innocent, he will be cleared.)

‘Primary blame’ on Belgica

Occidental Mindoro Rep. Josephine Ramirez-Sato, meanwhile, slammed Belgica for submitting “unfounded” allegations to the President.

While Ramirez-Sato said it was “not acceptable” for the President to make public the names of those accused of alleged corruption without substantial evidence, she said: “I put primary blame on Mr. Belgica because he was the one who submitted the list to the President.”

“The fact that Mr. Belgica submitted an unfounded and baseless accusation to the President shows he doesn’t respect the President, that he doesn’t protect the President,” Ramirez-Sato said in a separate interview.

“Kasi kung pinoprotektahan niya President, kung ginagalang niya ang Presidente, hindi siya magbibigay ng listahan na walang basehan hindi siya magbibigay ng listahan na hindi dumaan sa regular due process of law,” she added.

(Because if he is really protecting the President, if he really respects the President, he will not give him a list that did not go through the regular due process of law.)

/MUF