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PRESIDENTIAL ANTI-GRAFT COMMISSION (PAGC)

PRESS RELEASE

10 December 2007 

CITY PROSECUTOR OF ILOILO ORDERED DISMISSED FOR GRAFT – PAGC 

The Office of the President, in a Decision dated 28 November 2007, upheld the recommendation of the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC) and ordered the dismissal from service, cancellation of eligibility, forfeiture of leave credits and retirement benefits, and the disqualification for reemployment in the government service of the City Prosecutor of Iloilo, Efrain V. Baldago. 

Baldago was found guilty of violating Section 7(d) of Republic Act No. 6713, otherwise known as the “Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees,” in relation to Book I, Chapter 9, Section 32 of Executive Order No. 292. 

The case stemmed from a verified complaint filed by Mr. Jose C. Demontano against Baldago for graft and corruption.  The complainant claimed that his first cousin had a pending case before the said City Prosecutor and in order to help expedite the disposition of the case, he went and solicited the help of Baldago.  During the pendency of the case, Baldago allegedly asked the complainant for financial assistance in the amounts of Php200,000.00, Php250,000.00, and another Php 250,000.00 respectively on different occasions in order to finance his sugar cane plantation.  The complainant likewise asserted that during those times that he was extending favors, his pending case went on smoothly and he was also give preference in seeing Baldago to discuss the case. However, after receipt of the financial assistance, developments of the case came to a halt. 

The facts and records of the case showed that Baldago has indeed solicited the amount of Php250,000.00 from the complainant during the pendency of the resolution of the complainant’s case before Baldago’s office which is a clear violation of RA 6713, Section 7(d) which states that, “Public officials and employees shall not solicit or accept directly or indirectly, any gift, gratuity, favor, entertainment, loan or anything of monetary value from any person in the course of their official duties or in connection with any operation being regulated by, or any transaction which may be affected by the functions of their office.” 

“As public servants we should always be mindful of our actions because we should serve as living examples in terms of integrity and moral character.  We should make sure that our service is beyond reproach and with complete accountability especially so that our country is consistently being put in a bad light, reinforcing the negative perception of the public in the fight against graft and corruption,” PAGC Chairman Constancia De Guzman said. 

News articles last week focused on the Philippines ranking 10^th in the world in terms of corruption allegedly per report of the Transparency International (TI) Global Corruption Barometer 2007. Ms. Nikola Sandoval of TI-Berlin told PAGC that the Global Corruption Barometer 2007 does not rank countries, it asks people about opinions and experiences of the situation with regard to corruption in their own county. 

“We do admit that there is a problem.  Institutions, like PAGC, are here because we want to solve the problem, but then, the gains and little victories in the fight against corruption should also be taken into consideration as numerous efforts are being done to at least make a dent in the fight.  Reforms in the system and penalizing offenders, just like the dismissal of City Prosecutor Baldago are clear signals that the government is sincere in solving this problem,” De Guzman added.

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