PCGG ABOLITION SHOULD BE ON TOP OF CONGRESS' AGENDA

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) today urged Congress to put the abolition of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) on top of its legislative agenda in the wake of the agency's string of failures in recovering ill-gotten wealth and the propensity of many of its officials and representatives in sequestered firms for committing corrupt acts.

Pimentel said lawmakers should take a cue from a Malacañang statement issued through Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita that the Palace is now reviewing the performance of the 22-year old PCGG in the light of the legal defeat it suffered in recovering alleged ill-gotten assets of taipan Lucio Tan and the alleged dissipation of assets and funds of the Philippine Communications Satellite Corp. (Philcomsat).

"I suggest that the PCGG should be abolished now before it completely dissipates the assets and funds of the firms their representatives are supposed to preserve and take care of," he said.

The minority leader stressed that the primary function of the PCGG is to locate the hidden Marcos wealth and identify the Marcos cronies who are supposedly the owners of sequestered firms.

"The PCGG has been at its job for more than 20 years now," Pimentel said.

Up to now, he said many radio stations and some TV stations are still under sequestration without any end in sight.

He also bewailed that the coconut levy cases remain unresolved, preventing the utilization of billions of pesos of funds for the rehabilitation of the ailing coconut industry and alleviation of the plight of millions of marginalized farmers and workers.

"I think that even if you extend the life of the PCGG to 100 years, they still would not be able to ascertain the names of the true owners of the sequestered firm," Pimentel said.

Under Senate Bill 292 authored by Pimentel, the PCGG should be dissolved and its powers and functions should be transferred to two other state agencies.

He proposed the transfer of the PCGG's authority to investigate and prosecute criminal and civil cases to the Office of the Special Prosecutor, Ombudsman.

On the other hand, the management and disposition of the assets and properties sequestered by the PCGG shall be transferred to and exercised by the Department of Finance through its Privatization Office.