PRESS STATEMENT OF THE COALITION AGAINST CORRUPTION (CAC): NO TO PROMOTION OF LAPEÑA

The CAC is a private sector volunteer organization whose advocacy is to fight corruption in all its forms, within and outside government. CAC is apolitical. We adhere to the principle, enunciated by no less than President Duterte himself, that there must be NO SACRED COWS. We must follow where the truth leads us without fear or favor. Let the ax fall where it may.

We partner with the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) in the War on Corruption from discovery all the way to the prosecution and conviction of corrupt officials.

We encourage whistleblowers to come out and reveal what they know. They are the best source of information as they have personal knowledge about the systems and incidents of corruption in their workplace. Their motivation is not our concern.

Yesterday, CAC hosted a press conference for Bureau of Customs (BOC) whistleblower Atty. Lourdes Manaoang on the drugs scandal involving the BOC. She accused BOC Commissioner Lapeña of incompetence at the very least. On-going investigations by the NBI, Senate and the House of Representatives will reveal the extent of the culpability of the former BOC Commissioner Lapeña.

Thus, it was premature that Lapeña should be rewarded with a promotion to a cabinet-level rank while the investigation is in progress. In fact, Lapeña’ s reassignment and promotion, without first being cleared of culpability, undermines the President’s avowed policies of “zero tolerance” and “not even a whiff” in the war on drugs and corruption. Illegal drugs and other syndicated crimes can only flourish in an environment of unmitigated corruption.

We urge the President to put on hold the reassignment, much less promotion, of officials while they are under investigation for wrongdoings.