Sen. Manny Pacquiao. INQUIRER.NET PHOTO/CATHY MIRANDA
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Manny Pacquiao’s allegations of corruption during the Duterte administration are “incorrect and unfounded,” according to the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC).
In a televised briefing Monday, PACC Commissioner Greco Belgica said it was the government’s efforts to combat corruption that “doubled,” suggesting the senator failed to establish the basis for alleging that irregularities multiplied under Duterte’s watch.
“Definitely that is incorrect and unfounded, walang basis. Anong basis po niya para maging doble? Dapat meron siyang pagsimulan. Ang nagdoble sa Duterte administration ay ang efforts to fight corruption,” Belgica said.
(Definitely that is incorrect and unfounded, based on nothing. How does he justify it becoming double? He needs a source. Corruption-fighting efforts doubled under this administration.)
“Ano exactly yung mga issue na yan, kelangan namin makita mismo yung dokumento dahil hindi naman dinetalye ni senador Manny yung kaso. He wasn’t able to give details, we will rely on the documents he will give the commission,” he added.
(Exactly what are these issues? Since senator Manny didn’t give details, we need a specific document. No details were given; we will rely on the documents he will give the commission.)
Belgica said that the PACC has organized anti-corruption committees in all levels of government, including the barangays, to assist with the campaign against corruption.
“All these bodies will be there and were put in place para po labanan ang corruption. I’m not saying na wala na po corruption. Merong corruption, maraming corruption kaya nga po ang PACC nilikha ng pangulo at ang task force against corruption at ombudsman para labanan yan,” he said.
(All these bodies will be there and were put into place against corruption. I am not denying that corruption exists. There is corruption, widespread corruption, which is why PACC was created by the President with a task force against it and an Ombudsman to deal with it.)
The chairman also said that the senator’s claim is raw since he has made a conclusion before he has conducted an investigation.
“Para mag-conclude hilaw pa po. Hindi pa hinog for a conclusive statement na meron talagang corruption,” Belgica said.
(To conclude, I don’t think it’s time for a conclusive statement about corruption.)
READ: ‘Medyo hilaw,’ PACC chief says of Pacquiao’s corruption claims
The senator earlier cited irregularities in purchases of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Pacquiao recently flew to the United States to train for his next bout with unified champ Errol Spence Jr. scheduled for August. —Faith Yuen Wei Ragasa, Inquirer trainee
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