DOF initiates 58 graft, corruption probes

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Finance (DOF) has conducted nearly 60 investigations against officials and employees suspected of being involved in graft and corruption under its jurisdiction.

Since the start of the Marcos administration, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said the DOF has ramped up its anti-graft drive.

Data showed that DOF’s Revenue Integrity Protection Service (RIPS) has initiated 58 investigations against suspected erring officials and employees from July 2022 until September this year.

RIPS is DOF’s anti-corruption arm mandated to conduct lifestyle checks and investigate allegations of graft and corruption.

It is also tasked with filing criminal and administrative complaints against officials and employees of the DOF, its bureaus and attached agencies.

The DOF probe covered 23 investigations each on the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), six on the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF), three on the Securities and Exchange Commission and one each on the DOF, Insurance Commission and the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp.

From this, DOF has filed five cases with the Civil Service Commission against employees of the BIR, BOC and BLFG, and six more before the Office of the Ombudsman.

The DOF said it received eight favorable resolutions from the cases.