PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday, August 21, 2021 said he has ordered the dismissal of National Electrification Administration (NEA) Administrator Edgardo Masongsong.

Duterte said he based his order on the recommendation of the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC), which conducted an investigation on Masongsong.

Duterte admitted that eliminating corruption in the government is challenging “because it is endemic.”

“We are not bragging about it but we are trying our best to cope up with the situation regarding graft and corruption in our government,” he said.

“I’m sorry, but I said people are really skeptic and cynic about our desire to improve our government service,” he added.

In a statement, Masongsong said the corruption allegation was “baseless.” He was appointed as administrator of NEA in November 2016.

He said he has yet to receive a formal notice from the Office of the President but he is ready to step down.

He said the NEA got COA’s highest rating twice.

“These are allegations that I have addressed in the course of the PACC’s inquiry into these accusations, and the records will show that I have fully cooperated with the PACC, fully confident in the knowledge that these allegations are baseless, and that if granted due process and the opportunity to defend myself, I can establish that I am innocent of any wrongdoing,” he said.

“In fact, a review of the NEA’s Commission on Audit (COA) reports will show that at the time of the PACC’s allegations, there were no COA findings that there was wastage of government funds nor a whiff of corruption,” he added. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo / SunStar Philippines)