IBC-13 employees told to send complaints to Duterte

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the disgruntled employees could write to the Office of the President if they were not satisfied by the response given to them by the Presidential Communications Operations Office. (PCOO file photo)roque

MANILA – Employees of Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC-13) may send a letter to President Rodrigo Duterte to request an investigation into corruption allegations within their agency, Malacañang said Tuesday.

IBC-13 employees earlier claimed that the TV network was allegedly involved in corruption and mismanagement and failed to provide them with workers’ benefits.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the disgruntled employees could write to the Office of the President if they were not satisfied by the response given to them by the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO).

“Kung hindi po kayo satisfied sa naging response ng PCOO, sumulat po kayo sa tanggapan ng Presidente at ipararating ko po iyan kay (If you’re not satisfied with the response of PCOO, just write to the Office of the President so it can reach) Usec. [Jesus Melchor] Quitain,” he said in a Palace press briefing.

Roque deferred to make further comments, noting that IBC-13 is one of the media arms of the PCOO.

“Well, we will defer the matter po sa PCOO dahil ang PCOO po ang nakakasakop sa IBC-13 (to the PCOO because the PCOO has jurisdiction over IBC-13),” he said.

Earlier, IBC-13 employees launched a series of mass actions over alleged graft and corruption within the network’s management.

The IBC Employees Union (IBCEU) called on President Duterte to put an end to corruption within the agency.

IBCEU president Alberto Libo-on earlier said the network allegedly failed to raise the salaries of its workers since 2008.

He said it was because IBC-13 lost money in a joint venture for the rehabilitation of its property in Quezon City.

Citing reports from the Commission on Audit, he said IBC-13 officials enjoyed a PHP1.87-million illegal wage hike last year, failed to pay PHP146.3 million in value added tax, and did not submit a corporate operating budget.

“Due to the non-observance of the guidelines and policies issued by the President on the salary increase of IBC-13 officers, the payments of such salary increase, 13th month pay differential and bonus differential to IBC-officers in the total amount of PHP1.817 million were without legal basis, thus, disallowed in audit,” COA stated.