Eleazar vows to unmask those behind fake corruption list

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) vowed to unmask the people behind a “meme” post on social media being attributed to Sen. Manny Pacquiao listing the government agencies in the Duterte administration allegedly involved in corruption.

The list included the PNP’s procurement of body-worn cameras as among the government projects tainted with corruption. Pacquiao’s camp denied he was the source of the social media post.

PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said he has ordered the Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) to conduct an investigation and determine the identities of the people behind the fake list.

Eleazar, during a press conference on Monday, insisted PNP’s procurement of over 2,600 body cameras worth P288 million and other items was transparent.

“We guarantee utmost transparency and public accountability in all transactions and expenditure programs entrusted by the government to the PNP,” he said.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque, for his part, belittled Pacquiao’s accusations, saying boxing is the latter’s only expertise.

Pacquiao may have taken a dig at the alleged corruption among some agencies under the Duterte administration but Malacañang downplayed his exposé last weekend.

“And as for Manny Pacquiao, he is best in the boxing ring and probably not as good elsewhere,” Roque said.

As a Filipino representing the country on the world stage, Roque said there is no question that Filipinos should support him in his fight against Errol Spence Jr. next month.

“Whether or not (the fight will push through) wish him luck, of course, we wish all Filipinos the best of luck in whatever they do best,” Roque said.

Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, meanwhile, said Pacquiao’s raising corruption issues against the administration was most welcome, regardless of his motivation because taxpayers’ money was involved.

“I welcome the issues raised by Sen. Pacquiao. But to me he should go straight to the mastermind because those are not without the blessing of the mastermind who is the President,” Trillanes said in an interview on The Chiefs aired on One News at TV 5.

“Regardless of the motivation, we should welcome it as citizens and taxpayers of this country before we attach malice to his actions,” Trillanes said in Filipino.

He also maintained in the same interview that the plunder case being readied against President Duterte and Sen. Bong Go involving some P6.6 billion in infrastructure projects is an airtight case.

Trillanes said the multi-billion infrastructure projects bagged by Go’s father and half-brother have the consent of President Duterte, being the approving authority.

“Many (people) will be imprisoned here. That’s why I said here with the consent of Duterte who is the approving authority…Congressmen tried to circumvent the law by putting up dummies, but (in this case) it was really father and brother. This is an airtight case, this plunder. P6.6 billion divided by P50 million, that is the number of plunder we can file,” Trillanes added.

Trillanes said no one had been convicted for plunder in the past as some officials, including lawmakers, used dummies to conceal their connection with the contractors.

“You know no one has been convicted (of plunder) based on blood relations because they went around the law. So there is a layer in their case. In this case, it is really impunity or stupidity, as the father and brother of Sen. Go (were named in the contracts). I’ve asked lawyers this is the most airtight case that can be seen directly,” Trillanes added. “No matter how much you turn, it’s all illegal.”

“We have established the blood relations and we have the admission of Sen. Bong Go, approving authority. We see that Duterte’s sweat, Go is always ready to wipe it off, we see their proximity and then we deny that there is an effect. We are talking P6.6 billion here, this does not happen by accident,” Trillanes added.

Meanwhile, militant fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) said the acquittal of Sen. Bong Revilla from graft and plunder charges further validates the corruption allegations of Pacquiao against the Duterte administration.

In a statement, the group said the Sandiganbayan Special First Division’s clearing Revilla of plunder “manifests impunity and exposes the Duterte administration’s coddling of known plunderers and corrupt politicians.”

“All the more reason to believe and back Senator Pacquiao’s anti-corruption stand. The acquittal of Mr. Revilla, both from plunder and graft cases, strengthens Senator Pacquiao’s claim that the Duterte administration is more corrupt than its predecessor. It reeks insincerity of the present administration’s supposed anti-corruption campaign. – Cecille Suerte Felipe, Rhodina Villanueva