PCGG chief: Agency abolition up to president

MANILA, Philippines — The decision to whether or not abolish the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) will be left to the discretion of President Rodrigo Duterte, the agency’s acting chairman said on Tuesday.

 

Reacting to the proposal of House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to put the functions of the agency under the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), PCGG acting chairman Reynold Munsayac said they recognize the efforts to streamline government services.

 

“The PCGG respects the wisdom of Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and it recognizes the legitimate attempt of the House to rationalize government service. PCGG also has high regard towards the OSG and the high degree of competence of Solicitor General Jose Calida,” Munsayac told The STAR.

 

“However, since PCGG is under the executive department, we leave this matter to the good discretion of the president,” he added.

 

Munsayac also noted that Duterte last year manifested his desire to expand the power of the PCGG to cover cases beyond the ill-gotten wealth of the family and cronies of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

 

“Also, in the official message sent by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to the 31st Anniversary of PCGG, he noted that the Office of the President will not allow what was once the most fearsome and powerful agency of the government to waste away,” added the PCGG chief.

 

“In any event, the PCGG will remain faithful to its mandates,” said Munsayac.

 

Alvarez recently filed a proposed bill that proposes to consolidate the functions of the PCGG and the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel under the OSG.

 

Created through the first executive order of former President Corazon Aquino, the commission was tasked to run after the alleged ill-gotten wealth of the former dictator, his family and his cronies.

 

Last year, the PCGG said it has recovered P170.4 billion of ill-gotten wealth, including the Swiss accounts, coco levy funds, sale of surrendered assets, amounts from compromise agreements with cronies and dummies, and cash dividends and income from sequestered corporations.