JUSTICE Secretary Menardo Guevarra yesterday said the Task Force Against Corruption will meet this week to determine which among the filed complaints would be given priority.
“All complaints so far received by the task force … secretariat are now being screened and evaluated,” Guevarra said.
“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,” he continued.
President Rodrigo Duterte recently directed the Department of Justice to investigate corruption in the entire government.
“I hope that all government workers, officials are listening. This is a memorandum from me to Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra. The subject is investigating corruption allegations in the entire government,” Duterte said in a taped speech.
“I will concentrate the last remaining years of my term fighting corruption kasi hanggang ngayon, hindi humihina, lumalakas pa lalo. Para na tuloy naging inutil ang mga opisyal ng bayan, na wala talagang magawa with the onslaught of corruption,” the President vowed.
As of this writing, the Task Force Against Corruption has already received more than 60 complaints against erring officials and employees in the government.
Also, Guevarra said that Task Force Against Corruption, which he heads, will not publicly disclose the names of public officials under investigation for alleged corruption.
“While investigations are still being conducted, we shall refrain, to the extent possible, from publicly identifying the personalities who may be involved, as a matter of fairness,” Guevarra said.
“Upon completion of the investigation and filing of the complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman, the respondents may be named, either by the Task Force Against Corruption or by the OMB, subject to their right to be heard,” he continued.
But Guevarra reiterated that no one shall be spared, including those outside the Executive Department, from being investigated by the task force.
“The task force will investigate the acts of corruption complained of, regardless of who may be involved,” Guevarra said.
