Published August 21, 2021, 11:32 AM
by Argyll Cyrus Geducos
President Duterte revealed that he has fired National Electrification Administration (NEA) Administrator Edgardo Masongsong for allegedly allowing electric cooperatives to contribute funds for a party-list campaign in the 2019 elections.
Duterte made the announcement following the recommendation of the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) to remove Masongsong from public service due to the graft allegations he was facing.
In his pre-recorded public address aired on Saturday morning, August 21, Duterte said he has approved the recommendation of the PACC to sack Masongsong.
“The Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission conducted [an] investigation and gave its recommendation to the Office of the President through the Office of the Executive Secretary to dismiss Masongsong from service,” he said.
“This is the pinakabagong ano sa– yung administrator mismo ng (This is the latest update in our fight against corruption, the administrator of the) National Electrification Administrator,” he added.
According to Duterte, he was publicly announcing the names of officials involved in supposed corruption activities to change the people’s perspective about his campaign against corruption.
“People are really [skeptical] and [cynical] about our desire to improve government service. We do not claim to, maybe really totally clean government at this time, not even with another president,” he said.
“But from time to time, ito (like this one), I’m given the opportunity to show the people again that we are not bragging about it but we are trying our best to cope with the situation regarding graft and corruption in our government,” he added.
In a report by the Philippine News Agency (PNA), the PACC had alleged that electric cooperatives issued board resolutions authorizing the use of funds for Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association’s (Philreca) bid for a party-list seat in the 2019 elections, now occupied by Rep. Presley de Jesus who is facing charges of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act before the Ombudsman for holding on to his post as president of a local electric cooperative while already a member of Congress.
According to the PACC, Masongsong did not object to the provisions of the board resolutions despite a law prohibiting persons operating a public utility from contributing funds for partisan politics.
Read more…
Duterte fires NEA administrator Masongsong over corruption issues – Manila Bulletin (mb.com.ph)