Evasco is anti-corruption czar of Bohol province

FILE PHOTO: Former Cabinet secretary Leoncio Evasco. INQUIRER/ JOAN BONDOC

TAGBILARAN CITY — Former Cabinet secretary Leoncio “Jun” Evasco Jr. is not retiring from public service.

Evasco was recently named the anti-corruption czar in his home province of Bohol by Gov. Aris Aumentado.

As head of the newly-created Office of Governance Accountability and Review (OGAR), Evasco on Monday said he would investigate all matters related to the use of public funds to curb government corruption.

OGAR, he said, will serve as a collegial body that will build up cases that were filed against elected, appointed, present or past officials over alleged irregularities and dubious transactions.

The board of consultants of OGAR is composed of former Provincial Prosecutor Macario Delusa, retired Judge Suceso Arcamo, former Tagbilaran City Mayor Dan Lim, retired Justice Gabriel Ingles, lawyer Jordan Pizarras, and Emmanuel Ramasola.

Evasco was a former mayor of Maribojoc town. He occupied a number of posts in the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte. His last stint was Duterte’s adviser on streamlining government processes.

In 2019, Evasco ran for governor of Bohol but lost to former Agriculture secretary Arthur Yap.

Gov. Aumentado said there were alleged irregularities committed under the province’s previous administration, some of these allegations have been reported in the mainstream and on social media.

READ: Ex-mayor files plunder case vs Bohol gov

“The Office of Governance Accountability and Review or OGAR is created primarily to fulfill a major campaign promise I raised during the campaign period, which is a platform of clean governance and prioritizing the welfare of the Boholano first or the battle cry of “Limpyong panggobyerno ug unahon ang Bol-anon, ” Aumentado said.

He signed Executive Order 2 for the creation of OGAR.

The OGAR is authorized to access any and all records of the provincial government in whatever format, request access to records from other government offices; obtain sworn statements of witnesses and resource persons; preserve such records, objects, or pieces of evidence related to the transaction under investigation; and perform all acts necessary, inherent, and desirable in order to accomplish its objectives.

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