NEDA: Sexual harassment claim vs. senior exec being investigated, results out soon

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) on Thursday said that the results of an investigation into a sexual harassment claim against a senior official will be released soon.

"The NEDA Committee on Decorum and Investigation (CODI), which is tasked to investigate sexual harassment complaints, among others, has conducted its investigation in accordance with applicable civil service rules and will be submitting its findings following the prescribed timelines," the agency said in an emailed statement.

The statement was released a day after an opinion piece was published on the Philippine Daily Inquirer, which said that a NEDA employee claimed she was harassed by a senior official inside his car.

"She was the last remaining passenger apart from the official, and it was while they were on their way to her home that he started fondling her," columnist Rina Jimenez-David said in her piece titled "#MeToo in a government office."

While the article did not identify the senior official, it said that he was a NEDA veteran, and had authority over big-ticket projects of the current administration.

For its part, NEDA said its CODI (Committee on Decorum and Investigation) is now working closely with Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia to ensure that the investigation proceeds with confidentiality and that it adheres to the proper protocol.

"Respect for all, especially in the workplace, is a value that our institution upholds, as reflected in the NEDA Code of Conduct. Any form of abuse or harassment—most especially sexual harassment—is not to be tolerated," it said.

"NEDA is committed to ensure that, in the interest of justice, the principles of due process are strictly observed," the agency added. — BM, GMA News