PACC not a duplicate of Ombudsman, commissioner says

The Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) is not a mere duplicate of the Office of the Ombudsman because they have differing jurisdictions, its commissioner said Tuesday.

Interviewed on “Bawal ang Pasaway,” lawyer Manuelito Luna said there is a coordination between them and the Ombudsman regarding the handling of cases.

“‘Pag presidential appointee with salary grade 26 or up, usually nire-refer po sa amin ng Office of the Ombudsman ‘yung kaso or complaint. ‘Pag mababa, sila po. Kami naman, ‘pag wala kaming jurisdiction… we refer to the Ombudsman for preliminary investigation,” he explained.

Luna underscored that the president retains the power to administratively deal with his own appointees.

“When it comes to presidential appointees, siya po ang may poder because the power to appoint includes to power to remove or discipline,” he said.

Luna also said that the PACC is a successor of previous anti-graft bodies such as the Philippine Anti-Graft Commission.

Watch economist Solita “Winnie” Monsod’s interview with Luna to learn more about the role of PACC. —Julia Mari Ornedo/LDF, GMA News