MANILA, Philippines – The commissioners of the Presidential Commission on Good Governance (PCGG) want to wind down the operation of the agency and urged Malacañang to abolish it after almost 25 years of existence. In a letter sent to the Office of the Executive Secretary, PCGG Chairman Andres Bautista and the three commissioners of the agency said they have been contemplating on the concluding chapter of the commission in the form of drafting a bill directing it to wind down its affairs, saying it has fulfilled its primary mandate, which is to recover the Marcoses’ ill-gotten wealth.
Bautista said the bill is currently being finalized but disclosed that the salient points of the draft bill are to transfer investigation and prosecution currently handled by the commission to the Department of Justice (DoJ); and transfer the surrendered or sequestered properties and assets to the Department of Finance (DoF).
“The transfers and winding down efforts shall be completed and satisfactorily accomplished within two years upon the approval of the legislative measure,” stated the letter, signed by Bautista and the three commissioners.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the proposal is being studied by DoJ while the sequestration cases have been referred to the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG).
De Lima submitted Tuesday to President Aquino her opinion, suggesting the need for the passage of the new law that would abolish the PCGG.
“It really depends on the President. If he wants that, then we will do that in a matter of two years. We just have to request for additional budget if we can’t do it with our current budget,” she said.
The PCGG was created by virtue of a law passed during the administration of Aquino’s late mother former President Corazon Aquino in 1986.
De Lima supported the proposal to abolish the PCGG and said it is about time for it to wind up its affairs and concentrate on completing its work.
PCGG officials, however, suggested the creation of an Institute for Good Governance which will focus more on the second and third mandates of the agency which are to investigate any cases of corruption that the President may refer to the commission and to come up with mechanisms that will mitigate, if not eradicate, corrupt practices.
“After 25 years, we think the commission has done everything to fulfill its first mandate to return the Marcoses’ ill gotten wealth. The matter is already in the court now and what we suggest is for the agency to focus more on its other mandates,” Bautista said.
Kris Bayos, Manila Bulletin
