New anti-corruption body shows Duterte's serious drive vs. graft

President Rodrigo Duterte is showing that he is serious in his campaign against graft and corruption in government by creating the Anti-Corruption Commission, a Palace official said Friday, adding that the move is not a show of dissatisfaction with the work of the Ombudsman.

Amid criticisms of the creation of the new commission, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar said that the President is sending a message by doing so.  

"Hindi naman sa hindi satisfied, but the president really is [making a] message, sending [it] to everyone, every government official that he has a no-nonsense policy pagdating sa anti-corruption drive," Andanar told GMA News TV's  "News To Go."

Duterte ran for president on a platform of anti-corruption in government, and so far has fired officials and employees over allegations of graft. 

Asked if the newly-established commission will prioritize investigations on Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales and of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno— both have publicly criticized Duterte—Andanar said he doesn't think so.

"Sa palagay ko ang iimbestigahan ng komisyon dito ay number one, yung mga opisyales na directly under the executive branch." 

Neither the Office of the Ombudsman nor the Supreme Court is under the executive branch. But both the Ombudsman and the Chief Justice are presidential appointees.

Duterte had said that he will file impeachment complaints against both the Ombudsman and the Chief Justice for grounds of selective justice, falsification of documents, and corruption.

On Thursday, the House Committee on Justice  found grounds for an impeachment complaint against Sereno sufficient. —Nicole-Anne C. Lagrimas/LBG, GMA News