Manila Bulletin
Anti-graft official says 'insignificant', nominal' tokens, gifts should be defined by laws
Anti-graft official says 'insignificant', nominal' tokens, gifts should be defined by laws
Anti-graft official says 'insignificant', nominal' tokens, gifts should be defined by laws
Published Aug 21, 2019 02:30 pm
By Rizal Obanil
Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) Commissioner Greco Belgica believes that the term “insignificant” and “nominal” should be more clearly defined by existing laws so as not to create confusion.
PACC Commissioner Greco Belgica
(RTVM / MANILA BULLETIN) In an interview over ANC’s Matters of Fact, Belgica said that there was “vagueness in the law” as far as what could be considered nominal and insignificant. Belgica explained: “Yun po ang dapat linawin ng batas because under the law 3019 Section 14, ang sinasabi insignificant tokens and tokens of gratitude and sa 6730 naman section 3, sinasabi rin po yang exemption na yan. And when you go through the IRR ng 6730 mine-mention din po yung case to case basis yan and tine-take into consideration yung salary nung tao,” the PACC chief said. (That’s what the law needs to be clear about, because under the law 3019 Section 14, what is said is that insignificant tokens and tokens of gratitude and under 6730 Section 3, that exemption is also being mentioned. And when you go through the IRR of 6730, it is mentioned that it is a case to case basis and the person’s salary is also taken into consideration) When asked about the “controversy” that he was recently embroiled in, regarding the definition of what is a “nominal and insignificant” gift, Belgica said: “That was not my statement, Sir. It was a twisted story and fake news actually. I was being interviewed in a TV program and there was this very rude anchor and arrogant. Then he was…to drive a point I gave a story.” Belgica explained that he was asked a question by the anchor, and to explain his side, he just gave an example about a government employee who was able to find a bag which contained P 1 million in an airport. The said employee then searched for the owner of the bag, and was eventually able to find him. As a reward, the owner of the bag gave that employee P 100,000. “Will you charge her for corruption?” Belgica asked the anchor. Then the PACC chief said that what if the reward was only P 1,000? Would you still charge her? He again asked the host. He further explained that during the said interview, he gave “exaggerated examples” and for every example, the host had a different answer. Belgica said that if the law was like this, then the definition of what is nominal and insignificant becomes “subjective.” That is why, he believes that the law should be more specific in its definition of terms, because what may seem insignificant to one can be very significant to another. When asked about the President’s recent comment that policemen should accept gifts Belgica said that the Chief Executive was clearly referring to “tokens of gratitude insignificant amount.” “There are exceptions to the law that the President was referring to. These are insignificant and nominal amounts that came from tokens of gratitude not out of bribery and corruption connected to his official function,” Belgica said. “And also this is a Christian character, a Filipino trait that when of nominal amounts and insignificant gifts yun po ang issue that has to be cleared by competent authorities which is how much is insignificant,” he said.
PACC Commissioner Greco Belgica(RTVM / MANILA BULLETIN) In an interview over ANC’s Matters of Fact, Belgica said that there was “vagueness in the law” as far as what could be considered nominal and insignificant. Belgica explained: “Yun po ang dapat linawin ng batas because under the law 3019 Section 14, ang sinasabi insignificant tokens and tokens of gratitude and sa 6730 naman section 3, sinasabi rin po yang exemption na yan. And when you go through the IRR ng 6730 mine-mention din po yung case to case basis yan and tine-take into consideration yung salary nung tao,” the PACC chief said. (That’s what the law needs to be clear about, because under the law 3019 Section 14, what is said is that insignificant tokens and tokens of gratitude and under 6730 Section 3, that exemption is also being mentioned. And when you go through the IRR of 6730, it is mentioned that it is a case to case basis and the person’s salary is also taken into consideration) When asked about the “controversy” that he was recently embroiled in, regarding the definition of what is a “nominal and insignificant” gift, Belgica said: “That was not my statement, Sir. It was a twisted story and fake news actually. I was being interviewed in a TV program and there was this very rude anchor and arrogant. Then he was…to drive a point I gave a story.” Belgica explained that he was asked a question by the anchor, and to explain his side, he just gave an example about a government employee who was able to find a bag which contained P 1 million in an airport. The said employee then searched for the owner of the bag, and was eventually able to find him. As a reward, the owner of the bag gave that employee P 100,000. “Will you charge her for corruption?” Belgica asked the anchor. Then the PACC chief said that what if the reward was only P 1,000? Would you still charge her? He again asked the host. He further explained that during the said interview, he gave “exaggerated examples” and for every example, the host had a different answer. Belgica said that if the law was like this, then the definition of what is nominal and insignificant becomes “subjective.” That is why, he believes that the law should be more specific in its definition of terms, because what may seem insignificant to one can be very significant to another. When asked about the President’s recent comment that policemen should accept gifts Belgica said that the Chief Executive was clearly referring to “tokens of gratitude insignificant amount.” “There are exceptions to the law that the President was referring to. These are insignificant and nominal amounts that came from tokens of gratitude not out of bribery and corruption connected to his official function,” Belgica said. “And also this is a Christian character, a Filipino trait that when of nominal amounts and insignificant gifts yun po ang issue that has to be cleared by competent authorities which is how much is insignificant,” he said.