DOF boosts anti-corruption drive

The Department of Finance (DOF) is stepping up its anti-corruption drive through its Revenue Integrity Protection Service (RIPS).

In a statement on Wednesday, the DOF said the RIPS conducts lifestyle checks, investigates allegations of graft and corrupt practices, and files criminal and administrative complaints, as necessary, against officials and employees of the DOF, its bureaus, and attached agencies.

The agency said that from July 2022 to September 30, 2023, RIPS has initiated a total of 58 investigations against suspected erring officials and employees under its jurisdiction.

These include 23 investigations on the Bureau of Customs (BOC); 23 on the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR); 6 on the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF); 1 on the Insurance Commission (IC); 1 on the DOF; 3 on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC); and 1 on the Philippine Deposit Insurance Commission (PDIC).

The DOF added that RIPS has filed five cases with the Civil Service Commission (CSC) against employees of the BIR, BOC, and BLFG; filed six cases with the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) against employees of the BIR; and has received eight favorable resolutions during the term of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“Prudent fiscal management must be underpinned by transparency and accountability. As custodians of public resources, we cannot afford to leave any room for graft and corruption,” said Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno.

To further strengthen the fight against corruption, the DOF said that RIPS has established a Green Lane Committee with the BOC and BIR, made improvements to its existing monitoring system—the RIPS Alert System (RAS), and strengthened the capacity of its RIPS Sumbong Website. —VBL, GMA Integrated News