No politics on plan to abolish PCGG
Malacanang said on Thursday that there is no politics on the plan to abolish the Presidential Commission on Good Government.
In a press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said the plan to abolish PCGG has been a move sometime back.
"Let me stress, it’s not a political question. It’s a question of streamlining and being able to consolidate functions so that there will be no overlap," he said.
Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno has said the government is considering abolishing the PCGG and transferring its functions to the Department of Justice.
The PCGG was created in 1986 through an executive order to go after the ill-gotten wealth of late President Ferdinand Marcos, his family and cronies.
"Actually the Office of the Solicitor General, actually handles the cases filed to run after the Marcos ill-gotten wealth, while the PCGG actually handles the administrative function," Abella explained.
"So based on their proposal, the OSG can also handle the administrative functions as well," he said.
Meanwhile, on President Rodrigo Duterte's preference to abolish the Commission on Human Rights, Abella said the president was simply expressing his frustration regarding "the apparent biases of the Commission.
"However, it is a Constitutional commission and it cannot be abolished by mere legislation. The chairperson and his members however serve at the pleasure of the President," he said.
Technically, he said the CHR officials may be replaced at Duterte's pleasure. Celerina Monte/DMS
