Anti-corruption task force approves guidelines to speed up complaints processing

THE Department of Justice (DoJ)-led Task Force Against Corruption has approved the guidelines on dealing with corruption-related complaints filed against officials of government agencies and local government units, Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevara said Friday.

With the approval of the guidelines, the task force operations center is expected to process complaints and reports on corruption more efficiently, Mr. Gueverra told reporters in a Viber group message.

Mr. Guevara also said several agencies have already crafted and strengthened their “internal anti-corruption mechanisms.”

He added that “the more significant complaints so far received from various sources” has been presented to the task force.

Mr. Guevara also said that the Office of the Ombudsman, Commission on Audit, and DoJ have agreed “to explore further the idea of deputizing DoJ prosecutors and CoA auditors as resident ombudsmen in certain corruption-prone agencies.”

President Rodrigo R. Duterte ordered the creation of the task force in October as he called for a “total campaign against corruption.” — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza