Puyat to DOT officials: Submit to lifestyle check

MANILA, Philippines — Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat has directed officials of the Department of Tourism (DOT) and its attached agencies and corporations to submit themselves to the lifestyle check being conducted by the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) in a bid to stamp out corruption in government.

“Not only do I submit myself, I also bring with me the DOT’s officials, as we fully submit ourselves to the lifestyle check of the PACC. This is our way of sending the message across that the DOT is one with the administration’s anti-corruption drive,” Puyat said.

In a memorandum, Puyat ordered all officials of the DOT and its attached agencies and corporations, who are presidential appointees, to fully cooperate with the PACC in the course of any lifestyle checks by producing their latest statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) and other relevant documents when requested.

The directive was prompted by the PACC’s appeal for government officials to submit themselves to the investigation being conducted pursuant to the PACC’s authority under Executive Order No. 43, s. 2017.

“Needless to say, we laud the initiative of the PACC. We look forward to contributing to the report which they hope to complete by year’s end,” Puyat added.

PACC Commissioner Greco Belgica previously announced that it would conduct a lifestyle check on agencies and offices of government due to allegations of corruption, with two unidentified Cabinet members already under investigation, based on complaints the commission received.

Yesterday at a forum with local chief executives from different local government units in the Zamboanga peninsula, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Alexei Nograles said they have no idea who the two Cabinet members being investigated are.

He added that Cabinet members are open to any investigation or inquiry as part of the president’s strong advocacy against corruption.

“It’s good there is something like that because we’re open to scrutiny from the public,” Nograles said.

Like Puyat, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, and Emmanuel Piñol, former agriculture secretary and now head of the Mindanao Development Authority, had volunteered themselves to PACC’s lifestyle check.

Upon her appointment as tourism secretary, Puyat, a career official with more than 25 years of public service, implemented policy reforms to ensure systematic, graft and corruption-free operations of the DOT.

Prior to Puyat’s post, corruption allegations surrounded the DOT, particularly with the P60-million ad placement deal with PTV-4 made under the term of then DOT secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo.

The ad placement in question was made on a show produced by Teo’s brother, Ben Tulfo, under Bitag Media Unlimited Inc.

Upon assuming the DOT helm, Puyat sought the help of the Commission on Audit (COA) to review all DOT contracts to make sure everything is transparent and had undergone proper bidding procedures.

Among these projects under review was that of the Tourism Promotions Board’s Buhay Carinderia project, which put then-TPB COO Cesar Montano in the headlines as reports claimed he issued three advanced checks amounting to P320 million in favor of the organizer and proponent of the event.

In a report, the COA later urged the TPB to take legal action against the persons in charge of the contract. – With Ghio Ong, Roel Pareño