Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) Executive Director Malou Mangahas and President Rodrigo Duterte
DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) responded on President Rodrigo Duterte’s “broadsides” against the investigative report on the wealth of his family, clarifying that their report was based on official government records.
PCIJ released last week a three-part report, “The Dutertes: Wealth Reveal & Riddles” showing big spikes in wealth of the president, and his two children, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, and former Vice-Mayor Paolo Duterte while in public office, among others.
The president did not mention the PCIJ, but he accused that the group behind the report were paid to do it.
“Makita mo ‘yung utak ng mga investigative journalism kaya… Pera-pera lang. Binabayaran ‘yan kung gano’n kalaki. Pati nu’ng lawyering ko,” Duterte said in a speech in Iloilo last Saturday.
“Hoy, ‘yung mga dilaw, all the time I was with my mother. Maski na noong mayor na ako, ang nagpapakain sa akin nanay ko. ‘Yung nanay ko ang may pera. ‘Yun ang nanay ko nag-iwan ng pera sa amin. Pero kung magkano, eh bakit sabihin ko sa inyo?” he added.
PCIJ Executive Director Malou Mangahas, in response, said that President did not have to lose his cool for the PCIJ report was built on the Dutertes’ own declarations in their Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth (SALNs), and data from official government records.
“It would have been far better had Mr. Duterte, daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara, and son and former Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo granted PCIJ’s request for comments, and possibly sit-down interviews, before the story ran,” Mangahas said.
Cited the SALN Law (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees or Republic Act No. 6713), all public officials are prompted to file “truthful and complete” disclosures of their assets, liabilities, and net worth.
“PCIJ had wished only for the Dutertes to offer clear, direct, straightforward replies to our queries,” Mangahas said.
She added that instead of blaming PCIJ for the report, “Mr. Duterte should turn his attention at his deputies, notably Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo, for the failure of Office of the President to attend to PCIJ’s request letters, over the last five months.”
Mangahas clarified that the PCIJ has also reported on the wealth and controversies surrounding all five presidents before him, this includes Benigno S. Aquino III, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Joseph Estrada, Fidel V. Ramos, and Corazon C. Aquino. (davaotoday.com)
READ:
(Part 1) PCIJ REPORT| The Dutertes: Wealth Reveal & Riddles
(Part 2) PCIJ REPORT| Duterte, Sara, Paolo mark big spikes in wealth, cash, while in public office
(Part 3) PCIJ REPORT| Dutertes mix up data on 23 business interests, posts of 16 relatives in gov’t
