Duterte Fires NEA Chief; To Stand By Duque Even If It Brings Him Down

President Duterte has fired for alleged corruption the chief of the agency overseeing the country’s electric cooperatives, following the recommendation of the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC). 

Duterte announced the dismissal of National Electrification Administration (NEA) administrator Edgardo Masongsong in a video recording last Friday night, Aug. 20,ending a week marred by allegations of fund mismanagement in various agencies as reported by state auditors. 

“I dismissed him (Masongsong) from public service,” said the President in the recording aired by state media on Saturday morning, Aug. 21. “(The) PACC conducted the investigation and made the recommendation for his dismissal. So, I have approved (it).”

The PACC recommendation was submitted to the Office of the President through Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea. 

Duterte also apologized to the public and said the firing of Masongsong is part of efforts to acknowledge and address corruption in government.

‘Baseless’
 
“These are allegations that I have addressed in the course of the PACC’s inquiry into these accusations, and the records will show that I have fully cooperated with the PACC – fully confident in the knowledge that these allegations are baseless and that if granted due process and the opportunity to defend myself, I can establish that I am innocent of any wrongdoing,” he said.

Masongsong clarified that throughout his stint as NEA administrator, there had been no Commission on Audit (COA) findings of “wastage of government funds nor a whiff of corruption.”

“It should also be noted that during my tenure as NEA chief, the agency twice received the highest audit rating from COA, evidence of the agency’s efforts towards transparency in its financial operations,” he said.
 

The NEA chief said he has yet to receive a formal notice to step down from office, but is prepared to hand over his responsibilities to his appointed replacement.

Masongsong cited his nearly two decades of experience in the electric cooperative (EC) movement – having been EC general manager, organizer and representative in Congress — which were the President’s basis for appointing him to the position.

“I will always be grateful to the President for having given me the opportunity to serve the sector I love, and thank my NEA family for their steadfast support. Notwithstanding this recent turn of events, I will continue to serve the EC and MCO movement and our people to the best of my ability,” he said.

COA, DOH

Duterte said he mentioned the NEA chief’s dismissal in light of the COA reports that have criticized the way some government agencies have used or misused public funds. 

“So we have to correct that perception because it will destroy the faith of the people in government. That’s one, it’s very important. The people must be informed and must realize that we are a working government. I do not, I said, proclaim that it is graft-free. We are trying our very best to cope,” the President said.

However, it seemed Duterte remained steadfast in vouching for the Department of Health (DOH), which had been flagged by the COA for “deficiencies” in managing over P67 billion in COVID-19 funds.

“Certainly itong DOH, wala ito (the issue involving DOH is nothing),” he said. 

Earlier, Duterte asked the COA not to publish its initial findings until agencies are finished documenting and responding to these fund issues, because such reports create the impression that officials of these offices are already corrupt. 

Various sectors have expressed support for COA, saying the President should not prevent state auditors from performing their mandate. 

Firing Duque would be a “great injustice,” Duterte said, as he expressed readiness to stand by the embattled Cabinet official at the risk of eroding his own popularity.

Duterte dared critics to give him a reason to dismiss Duque, whose agency has been criticized for missteps in the government’s pandemic response and specifically for alleged “deficiencies” in the handling of more than P67 billion in COVID-19 response funds.

“Do you want me to fire him (Duque)? Give me a reason why I should fire him. I hired the guy. He was not applying for the post. He did not ask me to hire him... If he commits a mistake, I would be responsible for that,” the President said in a pre-recorded public address aired yesterday. “But from what I saw, you are to oust him, for what? What wrongdoing did he 
commit?” 

“So, I’m sorry but I said even if I stand alone, I will stand for Duque even if it will bring me down. They said after this, Duterte will no longer be popular, his ratings will go down. Look, I am done. The rating does not really matter to me. I just want to work and whatever judgment you have for me, I don’t give a s***,” he added.

Duterte said a person’s reputation is important and that Duque would be branded as corrupt for life if removed from his post.

“I would be doing a great injustice. You know why? I hired him and he is performing. If I ask Duque to leave, during his lifetime, people would say ‘You know, he was fired because of corruption.’ You just imagine the injustice that you inflict on another fellow human being. I am not like that,” Duterte said.

“Attack those who are truly corrupt. Go ahead. Go for his neck. He deserves it. But here (issues involving Duque), there’s really nothing,” he added.
Duterte also clarified that Duque was not his campaigner when he was seeking the presidency in 2016.

In its annual report on the health department, the COA cited what it called “deficiencies” in the handling of pandemic response funds, including the alleged failure to obligate and disburse billions of pesos at year-end. 

The return of the funds to the national treasury was “counter-beneficial” to initiatives to contain the pandemic, according to state auditors.

On Monday, Aug. 16, Duterte assailed COA for releasing initial findings that he said created impressions that agencies and officials have committed corruption. He ordered agencies not to follow COA’s findings, saying no one has been jailed because of its reports. 
The President also revealed that Duque had tried to quit twice but his offers of resignation were not accepted.

Malacañang has downplayed the COA report, saying initial observations and comments can be debunked or addressed by agencies. COA has clarified that its report did not mention that state funds have been lost to corruption.

Don’t get distracted

Duterte said the release of COA’s findings should not distract officials from the performance of their duties.

“Government should not be affected or swayed by the noise of the few... We should perform our sworn duties to the people, including transparency and accountability,” he maintained. 

“If you think that these events surrounding the other reports on various agencies under the executive department will distract us from our mission to save our people, then you are wrong,” he said.

“I am committed to leading our nation out of this pandemic with the help of our frontline institutions so that we can be victorious and ready for a bigger future,” he added.

Duterte reiterated that agencies should be given elbowroom as they try to address the effects of the pandemic.

“To be honest, at the start of the pandemic – if you know what the word is, it’s a worldwide contamination. My order to DOH is if you buy something, dispense with the bidding. That was my order then. They did not even follow it. They still conducted biddings,” he stated.

The President also asked COA to “reconfigure” its reports by stating that there is no corruption if state funds remain unused.  

“I know there is no malice. You are just doing your duty. But in making the report, kindly reconfigure everything and say, at the first instance, if you conduct interviews, state immediately, ‘there is no corruption here because there is no money involved.’ The money has not been utilized,” Duterte said.

“Even if Duque wanted to spend all of that in one day, he has no sufficient personnel... So what can he do? He has to make do with the manpower of his office,” he added. 

In a related development, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said corruption and red tape in government are harming the country’s fight against COVID-19 as well as efforts to revitalize the economy.

“The problem with corruption is that the more our countrymen suffer and become poor because it (COVID budget) goes to the pockets of few instead of being spent to serve. There are also inefficiencies and deficiencies as cited by the COA,” Zubiri said in an interview on dwIZ. 

Zubiri is pushing for the removal of obstacles to the procurement and distribution of vaccines and supplies as well as for an end to the mishandling of precious COVID-19 funds.

He reiterated the COA reports – even if they are preliminary and controversial – greatly help senators in crafting the budget and other laws to improve government service and integrity.

Explain delays

Zubiri also said bottlenecks in the National Task Force Against COVID-19 (NTF) has been delaying the procurement of vaccines by the private sector and local government units (LGUs).

He said the NTF has been sitting on multiparty agreements (MPAs) between the national government and LGUs and the private sector on the procurement of vaccines, in effect delaying the rollout of at least 10 million doses.

Zubiri, principal author of Republic Act No. 11525 or the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021, has filed a resolution seeking an inquiry into the reported delays in the NTF’s signing of MPAs.

He said many LGUs and private firms applied for MPAs with the national government, “but these have remained unsigned and haven’t been acted upon.” 

He stressed he is pushing for the law because LGUs said they are willing – and have the funds – to procure vaccines for their constituents.

NTF chief Secretary Carlito Galvez will appear before senators on Wednesday, Aug. 25, to explain why the body is not acting on applications to procure the vaccines.

Meanwhile, Sen. Bong Go said he would not defend Lloyd Christopher Lao, former head of the procurement service of the Department of Budget and Management, from allegations of possible complicity in the questionable procurement of P1.66 billion worth of face masks and face shields. The purchase was allegedly overpriced by P1 billion. 

Go denied that Lao was his subordinate, saying he had worked with him when he was still a close aide of the President and the former DBM official was working in the Presidential Management Staff.

Lao used to be Duterte’s campaign lawyer who also hails from Davao. “I’m not close to him (Lao),” Go told dwIZ. “But only one thing is important, if you’re involved in corruption, we won’t let that pass.”

He said he would be among those eager to grill Lao even as vowed to be objective and fair during the hearing on the issue this week.

Go also appealed to his colleagues for fairness and objectivity in investigating the matter.  –  With Danessa Rivera, Paolo Romero