Palace: Anti-crime czar's work won't overload Ochoa

The designation of Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. as head of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) will not overload him, Malacañang said Saturday. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said being anti-crime czar will not be too big a burden for Ochoa, who already heads the Cabinet's security cluster. “Si ES [Ochoa] din ang head ng security cluster. As such, ang PAOCC would fall under him... If you notice, pareho ang subject matter," she said on government radio dzRB. "The reorganization is just a restructuring, more of putting things in order ang parehong subject put under one head," she added. Besides, she said President Benigno Aquino III will not give an extra task that he thinks Ochoa cannot handle. Valte also chided some critics for insinuating Ochoa could not handle the work and that he is not deserving of the post. On Friday, Malacañang made public Executive Order 46 making Ochoa head of the PAOCC, but he will remain as Executive Secretary. The PAOCC's tasks include monitoring human trafficking, transnational crimes, drug trafficking, car theft, gunrunning, robbery, kidnapping for ransom, and smuggling incidents. It is also tasked to investigate and prosecute heinous crimes, crimes committed by members of military and police personnel and government officials or employees, including those employed by the government owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs). The President can also ask the PAOCC to look into other criminal offenses. The EO was signed on June 13 and was published on the Manila Bulletin on Friday. EO 46 defines organized/syndicated crime group as two or more persons collaborating, confederating or mutually helping one another in the commission of any crime. “The reorganization and strengthening of the PAOCC is imperative to substantiate and generate results in the fight to eliminate corrupt practices," Aquino said in the EO. The PAOCC’s members include secretaries of the Departments of Interior and Local Government, Justice, National Defense, Foreign Affairs, the National Security Adviser, Armed Forces chief of staff, National Police chief, National Intelligence Coordination Agency head, National Bureau of Investigation director, and Philippine Center for Transnational Crime executive director. — LBG, GMA News