Palace assures Congress support of whistleblower bill

Amid threats of whistleblowers snubbing government inquiries into anomalies and corruption scandals, Malacañang assured Congress of its full support in ensuring the swift passage of a law protecting whistleblowers. Over the weekend, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said that President Benigno Aquino III already stressed the need to go after those behind wrongdoing, including graft and corruption, in government. In his July State of the Nation Address (SONA), Mr. Aquino listed the whistleblower act among the priority bills that Congress should pass under his administration. “We are going to discuss it with the leadership of the legislative branch to make sure the priority bills mentioned not only the whistleblowers’ act but also other bills mentioned by the president during the SONA [be acted on]," Lacierda said on government-run dzRB radio. He said this is aside from government’s added funding for the Department of Justice's Witness Protection Program, which offers state witnesses protective custody. Last week, jueteng whistleblower Sandra Cam said members of her group Whistleblowers' Association will boycott legislative inquiries, and even the upcoming proceedings of the Truth Commission, because the DOJ has not yet acted on their application for the WPP. She also said the whistleblowers' act must be enacted into law first before her group participates in investigations in various anomalies. Lawmakers are also mulling on the swift passage of the whistleblowers’ protection act in the wake of retired Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz’s revelations of police and civil officials receiving payoffs from jueteng operators. His disclosure led Cam to tell media that newly appointed Philippine National Police chief Director General Raul Bacalzo received jueteng payoffs. Bacalzo, who denied the allegations, recently said the PNP with him at its helm will implement a one-strike policy against jueteng wherein police officials will get no second chances if found supporting jueteng to flourish in their turf. Lacierda then expressed confidence that Bacalzo's policy will be successful. “Kung ginawa 'yan ni Chief PNP, isa yan sa pamamaraan gawing magandang ehemplo sa PNP officials. Kung may alleged collaboration dapat itigil 'yan kasi the PNP leadership is serious (If Chief PNP did that, it was a measure to be made as a good example for PNP officials. If there is alleged collaboration, it should be stopped because the PNP leadership is serious)," said Lacierda. —With Sophia Dedace/VS, GMANews.TV