Palace supports DOJ decision to start probe on ‘notorious’ agencies

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Thursday welcomed the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) decision to start its government-wide investigation with agencies “notorious” for their “widespread and systemic” corruption.

DOJ Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the task force probing graft will start with the “usual suspects”: the Department of Public Works and Highways, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Bureau of Customs, Land Registration Authority and the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.

“Fully supported po natin yan. Siguro po ang rason ay obvious. Traditionally po, talagang malawakan at systemic ang corruption sa mga ahensyang ito,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said.

(We fully support this. I guess the reason is obvious. Traditionally, there is widespread and systemic corruption in these agencies.)

“At nagagalak naman po kami na pinili ni Secretary Guevarra itong mga pinaka notorious sa corruption para simulan ang imbestigasyon ng expanded task force on corruption,” he went on.

(We are happy that Secretary Guevarra chose these agencies notorious for corruption as the expanded task force on corruption starts its investigation.)

President Rodrigo Duterte issued a memorandum which expanded the work of a task force earlier formed to probe irregularities in PhilHealth.

The memorandum authorized the DOJ to decide what allegations to investigate and to work with other agencies.

The expanded task force on corruption will look into irregularities across the bureaucracy until the end of Duterte’s term in 2022.

EDV