Anti-corruption task force to evaluate all complaints next week

FILE: Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Thursday (Sept. 5, 2019). (PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan)

MANILA – The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday said it would start sorting complaints received by the task force on corruption next week.

“All complaints so far received by the task force against corruption secretariat are now being screened and evaluated. I will call a meeting of the main task force next week to identify which of these complaints will be the subject of special investigating teams,” Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra told reporters when asked on the status of the complaints including those involving government officials and employees who are not part of the executive department.

The DOJ chief said a “general” update on the cases will be released next week on the cases.

“I do not wish to give special attention to any particular class of potential respondents,” Guevarra said.

On Wednesday, Guevarra said he received instructions on going after public officials, who do not belong to the executive department, in the course of the investigations into corruption allegations.

“The President (Rodrigo Duterte) stated that if the involvement of a member of Congress, for instance, is germane to the anomalous transaction, then the latter’s inclusion in criminal charges will have to be endorsed to the Office of the Ombudsman through the Secretary of Justice,” Guevarra said in a message to reporters.

Guevarra added that “when it comes to criminal investigation and prosecution, no one is exempt, except those enjoying immunity from suit during their tenure”.

“The rule is different in administrative cases. the President has neither supervision nor control over other branches of the government and therefore may not investigate them for misconduct, dishonesty, and the like, as he (Duterte) correctly pointed out,” he added.

In a public address on Monday night, President Rodrigo Duterte said he would refer to the Office of the Ombudsman information he received about some members of the House of Representatives who allegedly received kickbacks from project contractors.

Duterte bared that he received a list of lawmakers who were allegedly involved in corruption in projects in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

He said the list was given to him by Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) Commissioner Greco Belgica.

However, he refused to investigate and name these lawmakers saying he has no jurisdiction over members of a co-equal branch of government.