“If warranted, the DOJ would take appropriate action. In the meantime, as President Aquino said, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima will be investigating whatever anomalies were revealed during the SONA,” said presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda.
He said Mr. Aquino would not have a direct hand in the investigation but would let the DOJ handle the investigation, consistent with his corporate style of governance.
“The style of the President is really to be the CEO (chief executive officer). He leaves it all to the Cabinet secretaries to do their respective jobs,” Lacierda said.
Criminal Investigation
Mr. Aquino, in his address, bared alleged corruption and mismanagement of public funds in the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the National Power Corp. (Napocor), Metro Rail Transit Corp. (MRT), and the National Food Authority (NFA).
Mr. Aquino said public funds wasted from anomalies in these agencies could have funded the P12.7-billion budget of the entire judiciary, the conditional cash transfers for the following year worth P29.6 billion, and the P130-billion budget for additional classrooms.
The President devoted much of his address on allegations of anomalies in these agencies.
Cavite Rep.Elpidio Barzaga appealed to former and incumbent members of the board of trustees of MWSS to return their huge bonuses to the government.
Mr. Aquino said the MWSS staff receives P211.5 million a year each, 24 percent of which represents the salary and 60 percent for allowances and bonuses.
“It’s not too late for them to voluntarily surrender some of the money, in the spirit of burden sharing, especially now that government is facing a record P325-billion budget deficit,” Barzaga said.
Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s political affairs adviser Gabby Claudio chaired the MWSS board of trustees.
Barzaga also urged the Bureau of Internal Revenue to make sure that government executives who received “lavish” bonuses pay the correct amount of income tax.
MWSS administrator Macra Cruz said she would review the budget allocations made by the agency.
“I think the figures pointed out in the SONA are more or less correct, and if ever, there could be just a minor deviation. I would check on that,” she said.
She admitted that MWSS officials and employees enjoy certain bonuses but defended the provision of these perks by pointing out that the agency is capable of generating its own income.
“Yes, there are certain benefits (and) allowances being enjoyed by the agency’s officials and employees but these have basis. I would also like to say that the money is being used for the services the agency provides the public,” she said.
“We are somehow capable since we derive income from payments made by the concessionaires, payments for properties and right-of-way,” she added.
The President also exposed that several MWSS officials were allowed to build houses at the La Mesa watershed. Cruz, however, said only a few houses were built and were constructed not at the watershed but only near it.
“In fact, an Environmental Compliance Certificate was issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for the housing project,” she said. - Jess Diaz, Rhodina Villanueva - By Delon Porcalla
