Duterte orders 2 assistant secretaries to resign

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte has asked two assistant secretaries accused of corruption – Moslemen Macarambon Sr. of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Tingagun Umpa of the Department of Public Works and Highways – to resign or be dismissed from service.

“The President has advised the two assistant secretaries to tender their resignations or face termination for corruption,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said at a press briefing yesterday.  

Roque said an investigation by the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) revealed that Macarambon has been intervening on behalf of suspected smugglers of gold and other precious jewelry at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Umpa, on the other hand, was accused of committing grave abuse of power and acts of corruption for allegedly asking contractors in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao for a cut from projects. Umpa is in charge of projects in the ARMM.

Roque made the announcement a week after former tourism secretary Wanda Teo quit over a controversial deal that placed P60 million in Department of Tourism advertisements to a media outlet owned by her brother Ben Tulfo. Teo and Tulfo have maintained there was nothing irregular about the advertising contract.

Roque said it would be up to the Office of the Ombudsman to decide whether to file cases against Macarambon and Umpa. 

“The DOJ and the PACC already conducted an investigation that the ombudsman can use for its investigation,” he said. 

Roque said the PACC is looking into about 400 complaints involving officials tagged in irregularities.

The PACC was created through Executive Order No. 43 signed by Duterte last year. The commission was mandated “to directly assist the President in investigating and/or hearing administrative cases primarily involving graft and/or corruption against all presidential appointees.”

The PACC has the power to hear, investigate, receive, gather and evaluate evidence, intelligence reports and information in administrative cases against presidential appointees and submit recommendations to the Office of the President.

Roque said the PACC also investigates complaints transmitted by the Office of the Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs.

Sacked

Following the advice from Malacañang, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra yesterday confirmed that Macarambon has been terminated.

“The President has appointed someone to replace Asec. Macarambon. So that is effectively a termination,” he told reporters without naming the replacement.

Macarambon had earlier filed a courtesy resignation.

“It’s a matter of trust and confidence. It’s the President who has the authority to terminate such appointment,” Guevarra stressed.

Asked if the DOJ would conduct an investigation on Macarambon’s alleged involvement in such activities, Guevarra said he “would gather more facts before initiating a probe.”

Macarambon has denied the charges, but has confirmed he dealt with Bureau of Customs officials last November.

“I only asked the Bureau of Customs to recompute the taxes paid by the in-laws of my daughter. They initially computed P6 million when it should be only P1.38 million,” he recalled in a phone interview.

“I don’t think it was inappropriate because I only requested for recomputation for the proper payment of taxes,” he lamented.

Last month, Guevarra asked all DOJ undersecretaries and assistant secretaries to tender their resignations to give him a free hand to perform his mandate.

Guevarra, however, said then that until any action is taken by Malacañang on the courtesy resignations, all these officials should continue to report for work and perform their usual rules and responsibilities.

Guevarra took the top DOJ post after the resignation of Vitaliano Aguirre II last March. – With Edu Punay