By Argyll Geducos
Embattled Philippine Information Agency (PIA) director-general Harold Clavite asked the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) to investigate the corruption allegations hurled against him.
Clavite made the remark following the anonymous letter detailing his alleged corrupt practices which was sent to his superior, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar.
In a Facebook post, Clavite said he asked the PACC to investigate him, as he welcomed any investigation from the PCOO as well.
"For transparency, I sent a request to the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission to look further and investigate me, as necessary," he said.
Clavite said he already answered all the allegations against him contained in the anonymous letter which he deemed were irrelevant. He added that he had also sent his response to the PCOO and that he would launch an inquiry in the PIA.
Andanar’s office received the unsigned letters against Clavite, backed by documents from the PIA central office, last month.
Among the allegations were the supposed splitting of a contract for the purchase of “ASEAN Komiks,” misuse of funds for hotel accommodations, irregularities in the production of information materials for the Employees’ Compensation Commission, and irregularities in the airing of a government promotional material called “Like Pinas.”
Mastermind
Meanwhile, Clavite named a certain Benjamin Felipe as the man behind the anonymous letter sent to Andanar. In his Facebook post, Clavite said that Felipe, who is a presidential appointee in the PIA, works with a few "disgruntled" PIA Execom members and employees to wage war against him.
"These PIA instigators have names too and I’ll share them as soon as criminal and administrative cases are finalized. Some of them are part of my own management team," he said.
Clavite said that Felipe and the small group of PIA personnel are the ones who are "inefficient and corrupt" and are used to running things and doing their jobs at their own pace.
"They felt insulted that someone from the very small town of Baroy had strictly enforced changes and reforms affecting their comfort," he said.
"Some of them are very manipulative and had become successful in manipulating the emotionally unstable Felipe to be their spokesperson in spreading all lies," he added.
The Information chief also said that the said PIA personnel are allegedly getting PCOO's attention because Felipe was Andanar's best friend even when they were still part of TV5.