Dismissed National Electrification Administration (NEA) chief Edgardo R. Masongsong said over the weekend that no government funds were used to finance the campaign of the PHILRECA partylist during the 2019 elections.
“I have been relieved as NEA Administrator upon the recommendation of the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission [PACC] due to allegations of corruption.
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,” Masongsong said in a statement.
President Duterte announced Masongsong’s termination in a taped speech aired Saturday.
Masongsong cited a review of the NEA’s Commission on Audit reports which, at the time of the PACC’s allegations, showed no wastage of government funds.
“It should also be noted that during my tenure as NEA chief, the agency twice received the highest audit rating from COA, evidence of the agency’s efforts towards transparency in its financial operations,” he said.
Last May, Masongsong said PACC’s allegations were “baseless and malicious.”
“My alleged ‘condoning of the use of public funds to fund the political campaign of PHILRECA Party-list’ is baseless, malicious and a reckless presumption considering that no public funds were ever manipulated for the said purpose,” he said.
PHILRECA, the umbrella organization of the 121 electric cooperatives (ECs) across the country, had denied this.
The NEA oversees the operations of the ECs. Masongsong’s replacement has yet to be announced by Malacañang.
