Rep. Martin Romualdez (Contributed photo)
MANILA, Philippines — House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez on Wednesday called on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to double-check and thoroughly assess the list of the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission’s (PACC) which tagged several congressmen in corruption involving infrastructure projects.
“In line with the President’s directive, it is now the duty of the DOJ to give the legislators named in the PACC list the proper forum to face their accusers and defend themselves,” Romualdez said in a statement.
“We are hopeful that the DOJ will double-check and assess thoroughly the list submitted by the PACC to President [Rodrigo] Duterte, to verify which of these charges have a basis and which are mere products of the imaginative minds of rival politicians,” he added.
On Monday, Duterte, citing the PACC list, named nine House members purportedly involved in corruption involving Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects.
The lawmakers mentioned, have already denied accusations against them, with some blaming local politics as the reason why they were being linked to corruption without basis.
In naming the congressmen allegedly involved in anomalies, Duterte did stress that there is still no hard evidence against them and that their inclusion in the PACC’s list does not mean that they are guilty.
“We do not wish that the President’s war against corruption gets sidetracked by polluted sources who are engaged in local partisan politics,” Romualdez said.
“The President is serious in getting rid of corruption in the last remaining years of his term. Let us support him and stand with him in this crusade,” he added.
Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, meanwhile, stressed the need for the lawmakers accused to be given a chance to respond to the allegations of corruption.
“Due process dictates that a thorough investigation be conducted to determine whether there is probable cause or evidence to support the charges against them,” Velasco said in a separate statement.
Citing news reports, Velasco said the “House members mentioned in the PACC list claimed that none of the representatives from PACC have invited them for questioning.”
“It appears that the PACC has not made any investigation as to the veracity of the accusations against them since they belong to another branch of government, which is not within the authority of the Commission,” he added.
“Pursuant to due process, we believe that the matter should be brought before the Ombudsman, given the limited jurisdiction of the PACC over officials in the Executive Branch, and not those in the legislature,” he also said.