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By Jefferson Antiporda, Reporter
The number of presidential
appointees involved in graft went up by 500 percent during President
Gloria Arroyo’s term so far, compared to the terms of former
Presidents Fidel Ramos and Joseph Estrada.
Connie de Guzman, chairman of the
Presidential Anti-Graft Commission, disclosed the figures on Monday
during a weekly media forum. But she added that the stunningly high
number does not mean that the Arroyo government is more corrupt than
the past administrations.
On the contrary, the high number
may be attributed to the serious effort exerted by the commission in
going after dirty government personnel, she added.
Based on records, a total of 126
presidential appointees have been sanctioned by the Office of the
President upon the recommendation of the commission, which received
and investigated complaints.
Of the total sanctioned, de
Guzman said that 72 officials have been dismissed, 25 were
suspended, 21 were given accessory penalty and eight were
reprimanded by the President.
During the term of President
Ramos, only 10 presidential appointees were given sanctions, and 11
during the term of his successor, Estrada.
The government offices that had
the most number of presidential appointees sanctioned are the
Philippine Estates Authority, the Department of Public Works and
Highways and the National Tobacco Administration.
The commission is a
recommen-datory body created specifically to investigate
presidential appointees accused of wrongdoings. The result of its
investigation and its recommendation are submitted to the Office of
the President for appropriate action.
De Guzman said the President has
directed the commission to intensify its operations in order to rid
government of officials who take advantage of their positions for
personal gain.
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