House Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate on Saturday, Sept. 4 slammed the creation of the Inter-Agency Anti-Corruption Coordinating Council (IAACCC) amid the controversy over reports of massive overpricing of vital COVID-19 prevention gadgets and paraphernalia.
Created by the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission, the IAACCC was launched on Friday while President Duterte and the Senate continued to exchange words over the latter’s on-going investigation into the alleged overpricing of face shields, face masks and other anti-COViD 19 supplies and equipment procured by the Procurement Services-Department of Budget and Management.
Former Undersecretary Christopher Lao, who used to work at the Presidential Management Staff and the Davao City government, has been undergoing intense grilling in the Senate as reported proofs of multi-billion peso irregularities at the PS-DBM surfaced.
Zarate said he creation of the IAACCC could be a mere ploy to deflect media and public attention from the corruption issues confronting the Duterte administration.
At the same time, Zarate said the new body can also used as a demolition machine by the regime against its political rivals and the opposition."
"Its framework is like that of the NTF-ELCAC that is involved in redtagging, squid tactics, numerous human rights violations and targetted critics of the Duterte administration as well as the opposition. It is not remote that this council will be used as such," said the progressive solon.
"This supposed anti-corruption council is also a means for the Duterte administration to save face because its anti-corruption drive is turning out to be a sham like his bloody anti-drug campaign,” stated Zarate.