Palace welcomes leave of official tagged in Pagcor plunder case

MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang said on Tuesday it would be up to the Aquino administration officials — who were among those charged in connection with the alleged P186-million plunder in the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. during the Arroyo regime — what to do next in light of the raps filed against them.

Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, nonetheless, welcomed Government Service Insurance System director Danilo Gozo’s filing of a leave of absence after he was included in the charges filed against the previous Pagcor board of which he was a member.

Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba of the National Telecommunications Commission is also one of the former Pagcor members included in P186-million plunder charge that the present Pagcor board filed against former Pagcor chairman Ephraim Genuino and his board members.

“The decision on whether to stay or not, we leave it to them because there’s a presumption of innocence,” Lacierda said.

Lacierda said Cordoba wouldn’t have any undue influence in the case involving the Pagcor as NTC commissioner.

He said Gozo, in taking a leave of absence, “has taken the extra mile.”

Lacierda said Gozo wouldn’t get any compensation during his leave of absence from the GSIS board.