Philippine President sets up anti-corruption agency

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (Photo: AFP/VNA)

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on October 4 signed a decree on establishing a presidential agency to investigate graft and corruption in the government.

A government statement issued on October 5 stated that the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) will be tasked with looking into corruption charges involving all presidential appointees in the executive branch.

The PACC will include a chairman and four commissioners to be appointed by the president, the majority of whom must be lawyers and have been practicing law for at least five years.

According to the statement, the PACC will also have a secretariat, which will provide technical and administrative support to the commission. The personnel of the secretariat will be appointed by the PACC chairman.

President Duterte, who assumed presidency in June 2016, vowed to stamp out corruption and crimes during his six-year term.

VNA