PCOO Usec. Egco faces raps for calling DILG reporters ‘haoshiao’

A reporter has filed a complaint against Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Undersecretary Joel Egco for allegedly calling members of the Department of Interior and Local Government-National Police Commission Press Corps (DNPC) as fly-by-night reporters or "haoshiao."

Press corps president and Pilipino Mirror reporter Joel Operario Amongo, in his personal capacity, filed online libel, violation of Section 3 the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and violation of Sections 4 and 7 of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials, against Egco with the Office of the Ombudsman on Thursday.

Amongo based his complaint on Egco's Facebook posts where the undersecretary supposedly complained that the DNPC caused discord among journalists covering the agency and called them a collection of persons who feign media practice and use DILG logos without authorization. He said Egco also accused them of charging excessive fees for ads on their beat publication.

"On June 5, 2018, at 3:57 p.m., or thereabouts, Egco posted on his Facebook account that he was filing, and indeed filed, in his personal capacity and as a journo, a Complaint against Amongo, and DNPC members, whom he condescendingly calls minions, for allegedly besmirching his reputation and those of his fellow government officials and media colleagues," Amongo said in his 63-page complaint-affidavit.

Amongo said Egco even posted invectives against him and the DNPC in his Facebook status on May 29 when the PCOO official claimed he was being threatened.

"Grabe hangin sa ulo ng mga p— inang 'to. Grabe abuso na ginagawa. Pinananakot pa pagiging media. Kung di ba naman gunggong sa Pilipino Mirror siya ako 3 kolumn at may legit programs ako. Abusado ka Joel Amongo," Amongo quoted Egco as saying.

Amongo cried foul when Egco, who is also the executive director of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security, allegedly failed to ensure the protection of the DNPC under Administrative Order No. 1 after insisting that their group is composed illegitimate media practitioners.

Egco is also accused of possessing a Ducati motorcycle and lot that he intends to convert to a commercial complex, having excessive police escorts, issuing death threats against journalists, and involvement in the "tara" (payola) system at local carnivals.

Amongo urged the Ombudsman to preventively suspend Ecgo for six months pending the resolution of his complaint-affidavit.

“This case involves dishonesty, oppression and grave misconduct, and the acts were committed in relation to, or by reason of, his office, such that his continued stay in office would prejudice the case filed against him. Moreover, the evidence of guilt is definitely strong,” he said.

Harassment complaint

In a statement, Egco said the complaint is no less than a form of harassment and diversionary tactic following a resolution released by the Task Force which ruled that DNPC is involved in unethical conduct against members of the DILG Press Club (DPC), the accredited press corps of the agency.

“This is clearly a smear campaign against me, intended to fend off the filing of appropriate charges against them,” Egco said through the Task Force.

“The Office of the Ombudsman is an Observer in the Task Force and it knows how dedicated and relentless we are in pursuing our mandate to protect the life, liberty and security of media workers. It is the criminal acts of these so-called 'fly-by-night media,’ as alleged by the DILG Press Corps, that must not go unpunished,” he added.

Egco recalled the resolution passed by the DPC which accused members of the DNPC of threatening legitimate media practitioners of the DILG. He said the DNPC also used the DILG's press office without prior approval.

Furthermore, he said the DNPC wanted to disenfranchise the DPC members which prompted DILG officer-in-charge Eduardo Año to order the closure of the press office.

Egco added the Amongo complaint will not stop his agency from investigating the alleged illicit activities of the DNPC. He, nonetheless, said he will cooperate with the Ombudsman. — KBK/RSJ, GMA News