Justice Undersecretary Emmeline Aglipay-Villar said the public may give information to the task force investigating the government-wide corruption.
She said those who personally witnessed corrupt activities may testify in the event charges are filed against the officials involved.
“Ang publiko po ay maaaring magbigay ng mga tips o mga complaints o kahit ano pa mang impormasyon tungkol sa mga alegasyon o aktibidades na ilegal at korap na mga aktibidades sa mga ahensya ng gobyerno,” she said at the Laging Handa briefing.
“Kung sila po ay merong personal knowledge, meaning sila po mismo ang nakakita, nakarinig ng mga corrupt na activities na nire-report nila, maaari po silang tawagin bilang witness kung sakali pong magfa-file ng kaso doon sa mga tao pong isinumbong nila,” she added.
The DOJ official said DOJ’s Witness Protection Program may protect potential witnesses who fear for their safety.
“Kung natatakot naman po silang lumapit dahil natatakot sila baka yung mga sinumbong nila ay gaganti sa kanila at nanganganib sila para sa sarili nilang seguridad ay ang Department of Justice Witness Protection Program ay poprotektahan po sila. Kaya wag po silang mag-alala. Hindi po sila pababayaan ng Department of Justice,” she added.
Aglipay-Villar said the mega task force would meet today to discuss the process of accepting and assessing information from the public.
Public may report corrupt activities to task force – DOJ exec
President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday that many government workers would lose their jobs, face prosecution, and go to jail after he ordered a widespread investigation into allegations of corruption surrounding his administration.
During his meeting with key officials on the government’s typhoon response, Duterte read the names of several officials allegedly involved in corruption.
Duterte read the names of some executive officials of Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, Department of Health, and Bureau of Immigration tagged in corruption in their respective agencies.
Last week, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra announced the five government agencies that the task force he will form would first look into whether there is corruption:
- Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth)
- Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)
- Bureau of Customs (BOC)
- Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)
- Land Registration Authority (LRA)