Nayong Pilipino chief sues Duterte kin for libel

MANILA, Philippines — Nayong Pilipino Foundation (NPF) chairperson Patricia Yvette Ocampo has filed a cyber libel complaint against a relative of President Duterte over social media posts accusing her of corruption.

In a press conference yesterday, Ocampo said the attacks by Ma. Fema Duterte, a member of NPF’s board of trustees, have affected her mother and her children.

“She was accusing us, through social media posts, that we are corrupt and we are making the Nayong Pilipino an ATM (automated teller machine) despite the fact that what we are getting from Nayong Pilipino are honoraria,” Ocampo said.

In answering the presidential relative’s allegation, she admitted that she is a dual citizen, but said that as a presidential appointee, she is not covered by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) rule that prohibits government officials from having dual citizenship.

Ocampo said her passport expired in 2010 and she no longer used it.

NPF spokesperson Joyce Reano said Ocampo and other officials do not need CSC approval to remain at their posts because they are presidential appointees.

“It is only the President, who appointed them, who can remove them from office,” Reano said.

As for allegations that the NPF board of trustees violated a travel ban on government officials when they traveled to Korea in September last year, Reano said no public funds were used in the trip.

This means the trips cannot be covered by the travel restriction, “which suspended all foreign travels of government officials unless secure a clearance from the Office of the President.”

She also said the travel restriction contained in Administrative Order 103-2004 was repealed by the President on Sept. 19, 2017. The new guidelines on government travels were issued by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea on Jan. 3.

Reano said the board left for Korea on Sept. 29, 2017, which is after the time the AO was repealed and before the new guideleines were set.

Ocampo also denied allegations of corruption involving the development of a theme park.

She said the NPF has not entered into any contract, noting that they are in the “middle of an intensive process” of determining the best developer for a “uniquely Filipino” theme park.

“If there is no contract, where is the manifest partiality, evident bad faith, or gross and inexcusable negligence and undue haste?” Ocampo said.