PACC Retracts Call to Investigate VP Leni Robredo for 'Competing with National Govt'

The Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) has denied it requested the National Bureau of Investigation to probe Vice President Leni Robredo for allegedly competing with the national government in the fight against COVID-19.

According to PACC commissioner Greco Belgica, the earlier statement of commissioner Manuelito Luna was simply an opinion, and not an official statement. 

Earier today, the Philippine Daily Inquirer had published a story with a statement reportedly sent to them by Luna. 

“The National Bureau of Investigation should investigate Vice-President Leni Robredo for illegal solicitations, actions that compete with, or calculated to undermine, national government efforts in this time of public health emergency or national calamities, such as OVP’s free shuttle service and dormitories for health workers, and PPEs (personal protective equipment) for health workers,” said Luna in a statement sent to the Inquirer.

According to the Inquirer report, Luna had said Robredo’s efforts could be in violation of the IATF’s implementing rules and regulations on managing the outbreak.

Robredo’s COVID-19 Efforts

The Office of the Vice President (OVP), in partnership with charity group Kaya Natin!, has raised more than P40 million, which is being used for the procurement of PPEs for medical staff around the country. According to Robredo, her office was able to distribute over 32,000 PPEs in Metro Manila and Luzon.

The OVP has also spearheaded a free shuttle service intended to ferry health workers and other frontliners. It has partnered with the private sector to provide vehicles that will ferry passengers from 10 pickup points at 40 different schedules.

Robredo also opened free dormitories for frontliners, so that they will not need to travel farther and increase their risk of exposure to the virus.