Malacañang assigns ARTA deputy as OIC after suspension of top officials

Anti-Red Tape Authority Officer in Charge Ernesto Perez. INQUIRER.net file photo

MANILA, Philippines — Undersecretary Ernesto Perez, deputy director general of the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), has been designated by Malacañang to be the officer-in-charge of the agency after top officials including director general Jeremiah Belgica were suspended.

ARTA in a statement on Friday said that Perez’ papers were signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea under President Rodrigo Duterte’s authority.

Perez will serve as the OIC until June 30, or as Duterte’s term expires.

“ARTA Usec. Perez will serve as OIC until 30 June 2022, ‘in order to ensure continuous and effective delivery of public service,’ according to a memorandum from Medialdea sent to ARTA on Friday,” ARTA said.

Perez on the other hand said that it appears to be a full circle for him as he was also appointed officer-in-charge of the agency during its formation.

“My appointment as OIC of ARTA appears to be providential as I was also appointed as OIC when the agency was formed. I thank the President and the officials and staff of ARTA for their continued trust and support,” Perez said.

“During this period, I will ensure that ARTA will be able to sustain its reform toward our dream of a smarter and better Philippines,” he added.

He also noted that issues would not affect the way ARTA’s day-to-day operations are conducted.

“ARTA is undeterred and will continue to perform its functions against bureaucratic red tape,” Perez said.

“Please be assured that the day-to-day operations of ARTA will continue to run smooth under my watch and that services will not be hampered as we perform this sacred duty to further improve the efficiency of government services,” he added.

The development comes days after the Office of the Ombudsman decided to suspend Belgica and four other ARTA officials for allegedly giving favor and special treatment to NOW Telecom Company Inc. (NOWTel), the firm that was applying for a franchise to operate in the country.

Graft case vs NTC execs

The affiliates of NOWTel have filed graft complaints against several officials of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) before the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly delaying the processing of the companies’ necessary permits and licenses to operate their businesses.

NOWTel affiliates NOW Cable and News and Entertainment Network Corporation (Newsnet) filed separate cases against NTC officials for alleged violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act on June 9, 2022.

This after the Ombudsman suspended Belgica, deputy director-general Eduardo Bringas, division chief Sheryl Pura-Sumagui, and directors Jedrek Ng and Melamy Salvadora-Asperin.

NOW Cable said it filed a criminal complaint against NTC incumbent Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba, Deputy Commissioners Delilah Deles and Edgardo Cabarios, and Director of the Legal Branch Ella Blanca Lopez.

NOW Cable alleged that the act of the NTC respondents of “intentionally delaying the processing of permits, licenses, and other authorizations of complainant NOW Cable and its affiliate corporations, with the end goal of disenfranchising Complainant of the same – and ultimately awarding it other favored telecommunications and media companies,” violate Section 3 (E) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Newsnet, on the other hand, said the same in their affidavit saying respondents “should be held accountable for their act of intentionally delaying the processing of permits, licenses, and other authorizations of complainant Newsnet and its affiliate corporations, with the end goal of disenfranchising complainant Newsnet of the same – and ultimately awarding it to other favored telecommunications and media companies violate Section 3 (E) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.”

READ: Ombudsman suspends ARTA chief, 4 other execs for 6 months 

After Belgica filed his counteraffidavit with the Office of the Ombudsman on Monday, he explained that ARTA does not have the power to approve franchises.

Belgica said that they only gave NOWTel an Order of Automatic Approval after the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) granted its request for the issuance of provisional authority to install, operate, and maintain a mobile telecommunications system (CMTS PA).

He also stressed that their mandate is only within examining the documents submitted by a company doing business with the government, and to uncover reasons why applications are pending.

READ: ARTA officials appeal suspension: We do not approve telco applications 

Aside from that, the suspension order for ARTA officials left Belgica perplexed as his term would end alongside that of Duterte, being co-terminus officials of the government.

As of Perez, ARTA said that the new officer-in-charge was actually the first employee of the agency — being assigned as the ARTA head last December 2018 before Belgica stepped in on July 8, 2019.

ARTA said that Perez, a lawyer and certified public accountant (CPA), served as assistant secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) between January 2017 and November 2018.

Before being appointed to lead ARTA for the last 21 days, Perez was the chairperson of the DTI-Steel Task Force that led the probe on the biggest steel importation in the country.

JPV