Philippine
Daily Inquirer / 10:28 AM November 21, 2016
LIMA, Peru — In the
wake of the suicide of an official facing tremendous pressure to allegedly
carry out corrupt activities, President Duterte on Sunday ordered all officials
of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to quit.
“I am demanding they
all resign,” the President said, citing both internal and intelligence reports
indicating systemic corruption in the agency.
He said he received and
read the reports of the controversy involving the death of ERC director
Francisco Villa Jr., who killed himself on Nov. 9 and left suicide notes
expressing his problems on the job.
Villa’s sister,
journalist Charie Villa, said the notes showed that he had been under stifling
pressure to approve procurement contracts without bidding or hire consultants
as chair of ERC’s bids and awards committee.
“They really abused the
[system]… just like in the past,” Mr. Duterte said, speaking to reporters
before heading back to Manila after his participation at the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit here.
He also said he would
ask Congress to either “disband” or “reorganize” the ERC and to file charges
against the erring officials.
“I leave it to the
implementor. All these officials will have a choice: I will demand from
Congress to disband [ERC] or leave them without a budget, and/or file cases simultaneous,”
Mr. Duterte said.
The President said ERC
officials should prepare themselves.
“My source was a
document. Now it’s a matter of government lawyers assessing the case. They
better pray,” he said. CBB/rga
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